


Reset and Save

by YamiBaki



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: ? - Freeform, Better as it goes i promise, Child Frisk, Frisk And Reader Are Related, Frisk doesnt remember Resets, Frisk is a Sweetheart, Frisk is male, Funny sans, Lots of confusion, M/M, MALE READER INSERT, Male Frisk, Might have lemon, Moar male reader, Not sure where I'm going with this, Papyrus Being Papyrus, Papyrus and Spaghetti, Possesive Sans, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is flirtious, Reader is random, Reader-Insert, Sans Being An Asshole, Sans Has Issues, Sans Is A Dick, Sans Needs A Hug, Sans Remembers Resets, Sans Swearing, Very bad at puns, WTF am I writing?, We need more male reader inserts, Yaoi, bad language, frisk can speak, male reader - Freeform, reader is strong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 14:13:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6858259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YamiBaki/pseuds/YamiBaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My love for my nephew is soo big that I'm willing to stuff random crap into a duffle bag with some food and drinks, run out of the house and literally climb a mountain just to find him, even if it takes me hours, days, months! I don't care how long!</p>
<p>And that's exactly what I did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How To Find Your Missing Nephew

Being told your nephew, your _**favourite**_ nephew, was missing was not something one wanted to hear after returning home from a hellish day at school. 

Normal teens would probably panic, or mourn, or ask what happened. Me? I flipped a table.

That's right, I threw my backpack onto the ground and flipped the kitchen table over, flower decor, porcelain plates and eating utensils along with it. To be honest I was pretty damn shocked that I was even able to do such a thing, I'm not really the _athletic_ type, but at that moment I turned into the freaken Hulk!

I did get yelled at by my sister and her husband, but I like to think my reaction was justified. Let me explain, I was having a very bad day at school, this dumbass named Jake was being a douche and picked a fight with me, my teacher accused me of cheating on my science test and sent me to the principal's office, a kid pinned a crime on me when I clearly had an alibi and got me suspended and to top it off... I missed lunch! Now, I am a lot of things, a weird otaku who loves games, is pretty lazy and is pretty much a glutton, but I'm not a cheat nor do I like to vandalize public property. The graffiti art wasn't even that great anyways! So another fight after school with that jerk Jake later, I head on over to my workaholic sister and her husband's place to visit, only to find the police there. And what am I told? 

My nephew Frisk has been missing for about a week now. 

I tried to calm down, really, I did. But being told _how_ he got lost made me lose it. According to them, Frisk went by himself to Mt Ebott to explore after school, and they assumed he'd be back later only for them to find his missing backpack on the hidden dirt trail. Of course when asked what they wanted to do next by the police, my sister and her husband just said they'd wait it out, maybe Frisk will return on his own or they'd receive a ransom call. 

I was _livid._

You're probably wondering why I'm telling you this in the first place, well, let's just say that my love for my nephew is soo big that I'm willing to stuff random crap into a duffle bag with some food and drinks, run out of the house and literally climb a mountain just to find him, even if it takes me hours, days, months! I don't care how long! 

And that's exactly what I did. 

I was yelled at by my sister and her husband after the table flipping, a few curses were thrown here and there, both from my end and from my sister's end, before I stormed out of there. I went into my room, grabbed my things and just walked down the stairs and out of the house. I made sure to leave the door wide open, just so that they get up to close it themselves. Why slam it when you can make them do all the work?

Without much thought about my safety- since, when it comes to Frisk, I never think about myself- I head straight to mt Ebott. Now, the place was pretty much considered dangerous, especially since kids have been disappearing around the mountain for decades now, even a close friend of mine never returned, so they fenced it. Hearing that Frisk went there on his own sent a chill down my spine, I don't know how I could live with myself if I just let this slide. Frisk was the brother I've always wanted, and although I have my sister, he's the _only_ family member I'm willing to risk my life for. 

Climbing over the fence, I made my way up the dirt trail and called out for him, hoping he'd hear me if he was around the area. Frisk always had a strange fascination with the mountain, probably because I would always read him that story about the war with humans and monsters before bed, but that couldn't be the reason he went there, right? 

Gods I hope not. 

It's been about a month since I started my search, and no one's heard from him. I know they're looking for me too, since I've heard the police walk around calling my name every now and then. Of course, I ignore them and hide whenever they're near. If they find me, they'll take me back to my elder sister, then I'll never be able to find Frisk. 

That's probably what got me into this mess, hiding from the cops. 

I heard them nearby one day, with dogs and everything while is sat on top of a rock drinking what was left of my water. I'm amazed I made a weeks worth of food last a month, especially since I just packed junk food. I still have a small bag of Cheetos with me, but that's for Frisk. 

Without a second thought I dropped my water bottle and ran into the cave nearest to me at the highest part of the mountain. I had ducked my head and waited for the cop to walk off, but damn that dog was persistent, quickly turning to sniff the ground, before turning to growl at me through the cave's entrance. It was dark enough for the cop to not be able to see me, but she pulled out her flashlight and began to make her way inside. I quickly took a few steps back, crouching down and not once taking my eyes off of the growling dog. 

Until I heard shuffling coming from behind me. 

Turning my head, hoping to see just some bats hiding within the cave, my heart skipped a beat at who I found. 

It was Frisk! 

He was slowly walking into the cave, his head tilted to the side as though curious about something on the ground. Ignoring the growling dog and cop that were making their way inside the cave, I stood and turned to face him. My smile was wide, and I felt relief and joy wash over me. I found him, I finally found my nephew! "Frisk! There you are!" I began, trying to take a step forward. He turned his little head to face me, eyes wide in surprise to see me there. It was then that I noticed the large hole on the ground, the same one Frisk was examining not to long ago. "Frisk!" I cried out, reaching out to him as I watched him trip on a stone and fall into the hole. He looked so shocked, his tiny hands reached out to me as he fell. I thought nothing of it and just jumped right after him, luckily grabbing his hand and pulling him close to my chest to hopefully lessen the impact of the fall. 

If I had known I had caught Frisk right in the middle of a Reset, I wonder how things would have played out.. 

Not that I care, as long as Frisk was alright I don't care about everyone else...

Er... That's what I thought, at least...


	2. Flowey, You're Such An Asshole...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When I get my hands on you-"
> 
> "You'll do what?" Flowey asked, stopping his attack momentarily just to send (y/n) a smug look. "You can't do _anything_ boy! You're too _weak!_ Now, Frisk here, _he_ can do some damage." Flowey laughed at the offended and confused look on (y/n)'s face. "Your soul, it's weak, it's _useless!_ Not like Frisk's soul, which is filled with determination, the kind of soul I need to become a God!"
> 
> In which (y/n) meets a flower that's pretty much an asshole, and almost got turned into swiss cheese. Thank the Gods for the kind goat lady

When he finally opened his eyes, he realized that no, he wasn't dead and no, he hadn't just gotten both himself and his nephew killed. It had taken a while for him to open his eyes, his body seemed to have shut down for a moment. He was conscious, or rather _had_ been conscious when he landed, but wasn't able to open his eyes or move his body for a moment. With a groan, he was able to move his aching neck and glance around. 

Nothing but grass and buttercups could be seen, covering the ground and reaching from one end of the cave, to the other. From the corner of his eyes, he could see what appeared to be the entrance to deeper into the cave. Was this even a cave? He didn't know anymore. A sudden movement on his chest captured his attention, causing him to turn his neck and glance down. There laid Frisk, fist clenching onto his shirt, as his eyes asked him if he was alright or injured. "I'm fine Frisk. But what about you? Did you get hurt?" (Y/n) asked, placing a hand gently on top of his nephew's head, receiving a nod in response. (Y/n) didn't believe him, but didn't ask again. "Come on bud, let's find a way out of here and go back home." He suggested, sending his nephew a smile. Frisk nodded once more and crawled off of his uncle's chest, frowning when the elder of the two winced in pain. "I-I'm fine, just a sore back. I mean, I _did_ walk around this _whole_ mountain looking for you." He told him, poking Frisk's nose gently to calm him down. The last thing he needed was his nephew worrying for his well being. 

Frisk smiled at him, watching as the elder of the two stood, dusting himself off before kneeling down next to him. Reaching out he gently cupped Frisk's cheeks, turning his head from side to side, looking him all over just to make sure he was alright before he let go. With a sigh of relief, he stood once more, feeling his legs wobble a bit, before glancing around and finding his duffle bag off to the side. Lucky for them, the bag didn't fall on them, and they didn't fall on top of the bag. Picking it up he quickly slung it over his shoulder, turning to gently take Frisk's hand in his own, before the two made their way deeper into the cave. At the end stood a door, surrounded by a creepy looking design around it.

He wouldn't lie, he would have turned around and walk right back to where he awoke from, but he needed to keep going. For Frisk. 

Pushing the door open, the two walked right in, only to jump slightly in surprise when the door closed behind them with a loud thud! Followed by a soft clicking sound. Great, now they're stuck in there, there's no turning back after this. With a deep breath, (y/n) and Frisk took a couple of steps forward, only to be met with a flower sitting in the middle of the room, watching their every move. 

"Howdy! I'm Flowey, Flowey the flower!" He greeted, bright smile on his face. 

Out of habit, (y/n) quickly pushed Frisk behind him. Talking flowers were never a good thing, he's played enough video games, watched enough movies and read enough mangas to know you can't trust anyone whose _that_ friendly right off the bat.

"Ah don't be afraid! You're new to underground aren't 'cha?" He asked, eyebrow raised. For some strange reason, he was looking right at (y/n), as though Frisk had already been there before.

' _Yeah, no shit.'_ (Y/n) thought bitterly, taking a quick step back as Frisk kept quiet, one hand holding onto his uncle's pants in case.

"Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here. I guess little old me will have to do." While he was talking, (y/n) was keeping a close eye on him, watching him closely in case he tried anything funny. "Ready?" Flowey asked, looking strangely excited. "Here we go!" 

There was a strange shift in the air, as dread began to fill the teen. The room then began to lighten up, and that's when he saw it. A bright red heart glowing proudly before them, seeing it strangely filled (y/n) with what he could only describe as determination. But now was not the time for that! This guy pulled out his nephew's heart like it was nothing!

"You see that heart? That's your SOUL. The very culmination of your being!" 

 _'Why the fuck did you pull it out?!'_ (Y/n) thought frantically, turning to glance over at Frisk, only to see that he was fine with the fact that his soul was literally floating out of his body in front of him. 

"Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE of course!" Flowey continued, not really paying attention to (y/n)'s frantic movements as he tried to make sure Frisk was okay. "Hey, you want some LOVE don't 'cha? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!" With that, he gave a small wink before small, bullet-like objects appeared above him. Right as Frisk tensed up, (y/n) blocked him from Flowey's view. This damn flower was asking to get stomped on. 

"Down here, LOVE is shared through... Little white... 'Friendliness Pellets.'" 

"More like bullets of death." (Y/n) grumbles under his breath, feeling as Frisk glanced at Flowey from behind his uncle's legs. "Are you ready? Get as many as you can!" The bullets aimed for Frisk's soul, slowly moving as though ready to pierce through it as though it were made out of paper. Fearing for Frisk's well being, (y/n) quickly picked him up and hopped out of the way, watching as the bullets hit the ground with a thud! 

Flowey's face fell, but he kept up that friendly smile. "Hey bud. You missed them..." He muttered. "Let's try that again, okay?" 

The bullet-like pellets returned once more, taking quick aim at Frisk's soul. They moved a little faster than before, but luckily, were easily avoided. Hopping again to the side, (y/n) tripped and landed in his arse to the ground. Fortunately, Frisk was unharmed, sitting on (y/n)'s lap quietly, as he watched what went on around him. The bullets hit the ground with a thud! A little louder this time, leaving a small dent in their wake.

Flowey's smile finally fell, sending (y/n) and Frisk a look of irritation and looking at them as though they were stupid. "Is this a joke? Are you brain dead?" 

" _Excuse_ me?" (Y/n) growled, not liking this change of attitude but totally calling it. 

"RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!" He growled, before freezing on the spot. He realized his mistake, and quickly smiled, as though he didn't just get angry with them. "Friendliness pellets!" The bullets returned, and this time they went towards them faster. (Y/n) stood and did a quick dive to the middle, standing up as he held Frisk close to his chest. There was a sting on his shoulder, causing him go check and frown. He had been hit in the shoulder, fortunately it was just a scratch. Flowey's face began to twist and scrunch up, as though he had just eaten something sour. 

"You know what's going on here dong you?" He asked in a creepy tone, causing a chill to run down (y/n)'s spine. "You just wanted to see me suffer!" Within minutes, (y/n) and Frisk were surrounded by the white bullets. (Y/n) tried to move, but felt as though his feet were glued to the ground. The bullets grew closer, as Flowey laughed at them. "Die!" 

Frisk fidgeted in (y/n)'s arms, glancing at his soul before turning to his uncle, as though asking him what he should do. All (y/n) could do was grit his teeth in frustration, great, he went to Mt Ebott to save his nephew and now they were about to be filled with holes like Swiss cheese. Nothing like feeling completely useless in the face of danger, what a _great_ uncle he was. Turning to Flowey, (y/n) sent him the darkest glare he could muster, wanting to let the flower know that he'd kick his rooted ass if he wasn't surrounded by white ' _friendliness pellets_ ' or whatever. "When I get my hands on you-"

"You'll do what?" Flowey asked, stopping his attack momentarily just to send (y/n) a smug look. "You can't do _anything_ boy! You're too _weak!_ Now, Frisk here, _he_ can do some damage." Flowey laughed at the offended and confused look on (y/n)'s face. "Your soul, it's weak, it's _useless!_ Not like Frisk's soul, which is filled with determination, the kind of soul I need to become a God!" 

It wasn't long until the bullets began to move in closer, all the while Flowey growled at him. "It was going to be just another RESET! It was going to be like always, I was going to get rid of Frisk until you decided to drop in! You got in the way of a RESET! PREPARE TO DIE!!" The bullets were closer now, close enough for (y/n) to almost feel them on his skin. Holding Frisk closer to him, the young teen squeezed his eyes shut, silently praying to whoever was listening to be saves. He needed to save them, he needed to save Frisk. Suddenly, Flowey let out a squeak as he was hit by a fireball. The bullets surrounding them disappeared, as (y/n) popped an eye open, heaving a sigh of relief to see that they were still very much alive. Letting out a breath he never knew he was holding, the teen fell to his knees to the floor, feeling more exhausted and emotionally drained than he's ever felt.

A pair of small hands cupped his cheeks gently, causing him to look up. Frisk was examining his face while holding a concerned expression. By now his soul had returned to his body, safe where it belonged where no asshole flower could touch it. "I'm fine bud..." (Y/n) whispered, placing a hand over his nephew's smaller one. He was glad Frisk was safe, and he felt the need to protect him grow more and more the longer they stayed there. His nephew didn't deserve this, so he'll do whatever it takes to get him home safe and sound. Frisk sent his uncle a smile, tilting his head to the side and letting out a giggle when his uncle playfully bit his hand, like he did when Frisk was just a year old. 

"What a terrible creature, torturing poor, innocent youths..." 

The sudden voice startled them both, as (y/n)'s arms wrapped themselves around Frisk's small frame, holding him close and preparing to fight whoever it was that might try to harm them this time. 

From the shadows emerged a tall, goat woman. The sight of her was enough to make (y/n) gasp and eyes widen like saucers. She was pretty intimidating, and if the door hadn't locked behind them, he would have ran back to where they had fallen and start climbing the whole way back from where they fell with Frisk in hand. As though sensing his distress, the goat woman lifted her hands before her, as though to show she meant no harm. "Fear not my children, I am not here to harm you." She began, sending them a smile. Her voice was soft, motherly even. It calmed him down almost immediately, which also frightened him. He's always wanted someone to speak to him like that, to replace the woman whom he had been forced to call 'mom' back home, but could he really trust her?

I mean, they were almost killed by a deranged flower talking about resets, he wasn't in the mood to fight a goat woman.

 "I am Toriel, caretaker of the RUINS. I pass through this place everyday to see if anyone has fallen down, you two are the first humans to come here in a long time." She explained, a soft smile gracing her features, as she gazed down at both of them. 

All that fear, all that anxiety and vulnerability that (y/n) had felt before seemed to have melted away. She was like a mother, a mother he knew both he and Frisk wanted. His 'mother' wasn't worthy of the title, and his sister never acted like one. But this woman, Toriel, she was truly kind. Maybe, he could trust her. She didn't have the same aura as Flowey, she felt genuine with her kindness. "Come! I will guide you both through the catacombs..." She said, extending her hand out towards the two of them, smiling down as though she were gazing at her own children. Frisk turned to his uncle with a confused expression, he wanted to go with miss Toriel, but he wanted to see what his uncle would do. Seeing him torn like that hurt (y/n), or it could be something else. Turning to Frisk, the young teen nodded and smiled, watching as Frisk returned the smile while they both stood. Leaning in, (y/n) handed Frisk over to miss Toriel, sending her the most charming smile he could muster. "Thank you but, uh, could you do me a favour?" He asked, his voice strained and laced with exhaustion. Toriel held Frisk close and nodded, concerned for (y/n)'s well being as she took notice of his worn out state. "Yes of course, what do you need my child?" 

"Could you give Frisk something to eat? I'm pretty sure he hasn't eaten in a while..." He asked, letting out a breathy laugh as his vision grew blurry. "Also... Please call a doctor, I feel kind of..."

Before he could finish his sentence, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this written and finished but because I'm writing it on my tablet it DELETED EVERYTHING. I HAD TO RE-WRITE IT.
> 
> I hate writing sometimes... I have such a love hate relationship with writing..


	3. If You Love Me Let Me Goooo!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Please... I need to know what's down there..."
> 
> Toriel stayed quiet, still as a statue all the while her children waited. They wanted to know, _needed_ to, and were begging for answers. But what did she expect? They would have asked her about the basement sooner or later, she just didn't expect it to be so soon...
> 
> Not so soon...

Waking up a second time was worse than the first, there was more soreness and he was pretty sure he was having trouble breathing. His chest felt heavy, damn, how bad was the fall that he had to deal with this? He asked himself, trying to turn and move, only to curse under his breath when his muscles screamed in protest. 

Gods, this was like working out from morning to night, only to wake up the next day feeling exhausted and sore from head to toe. 

He could practically hear that little voice in his head, with the boy scolding him: 

_When will you learn? That your actions have consequences!_

"Uncle?"

The soft sound of Frisk's voice caused him to tensed, and that's when he realized what that heavy feeling was. Turning his head, he glanced down to stare at his chest, only to see Frisk gazing up at him with a tired expression. Well, that explained why he had trouble breathing. "Oh, morning bud, how you feeling?" He asked, lifting an aching hand to pat Frisk's head softly. The smaller of the two just hummed, resting his head back against (y/n)'s chest and snuggling closer to the covers. Now that he thought about it, it was surprisingly soft and warm where he was. Taking a quick glance around, he noticed he was in a slightly darkened room, only lit by the light that seeped underneath the door. It looked like a child's bedroom, what with everything being decorated in a neutral fashion, a small closet, lamp, a toy box at the edge of the bed, some teddy bears off to the side and other such things a room would have. As he continued to look around, his eyes caught sight of two plates that had been placed on the ground near the bed. There were two perfectly good, delicious smelling pies on them, with a note on the bigger plate. He assumed they were from Toriel, since she was the last living thing he saw before passing out. 

His stomach began to grumble, letting him know just how empty it was. The pies looked appealing, and he doubted that Toriel had probably carried him all the way there with Frisk just to poison them with tasty looking pie. If she did, he'd make sure to haunt her until her dying day. 

Slowly, he shuffled and tried to get up, letting out a grunt when Frisk suddenly moved. Before he knew it, he was sitting up in bed with his nephew gazing up at him, indifferent expression and everything while sitting on his lap. "Were you awake this whole time?" He asked, scoffing in mock offence when Frisk just smiled at him. "Well I never!" He scoffed, using the worst English accent he could muster. As the sound of Frisk's giggle echoing around the room, (y/n) felt himself relax. His whole day, if it _had_ been a day, had been much more adventurous than he was used to. 

The most adventure he got was when he went to an anime convention far away from home. 

"You hungry bud?" (Y/n) asked, smiling when Frisk nodded. "Toriel brought us some pie, let's eat and thank her for her hospitality, 'Kay? Then we can take a shower or something." Not much needed to be said, since Frisk understood. Unlike most kids his age, Frisk was pretty obedient. Well, as obedient as he can get, he only seemed to listen to everything (y/n) said with little to no complaint, then again that could be because he never had high expectations for Frisk like his sister or the rest of the family. Frisk was his own being, he was just a kid, he shouldn't be expected to do such extravagant things at his age. 

Climbing off of the bed, frisk walked towards the plates and picked them up, handing his uncle the bigger piece before sitting down on the bed and eating. (Y/n) thanked him, getting ready to eat until he noticed the note that had been left for them. 

_My children, I did not want to disturb your sleep, so I left you some pie for when you wake up. If you need anything, just let me know._

"Aww goat mom." (Y/n) cooed, coughing to cover up what he had said and glanced away when Frisk turned to him, mouth covered with butterscotch as he ate the pie happily. Without another word, he put the note down and dug into his pie. The first bite was bursting with flavour, and it left a tangy aftertaste. Not a bad one, a strange one but in a good way. It was like eating pop rocks, but with less hard crunchiness and much smoother. Turning, he couldn't help but smile at how happy Frisk seemed to be, eating his pie happily and swaying his feet back and forth. It's been a while since he saw his nephew smile like that, he's been feeling a little blue lately, that was why (y/n) had decided to visit him when he did. I guess it's all connected, but on the bright side, they were together now, and they were happy.

And, they had goat mom with them so, yeah, that's a bonus! 

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

When they had finished their pies, they quickly headed towards what they assumed was the kitchen, surprised to find miss Toriel sitting on her chair by the fireplace, reading a book on snails. She had seemed surprised at first, but greeted them both with smile, before asking (y/n) if he was alright. 

According to her, he had collapsed after asking for a doctor, it was mostly due to stress and exhaustion, along with the bumps and bruises he had gotten from the fall. She had carried him all the way to her home, teaching Frisk the puzzles of the ruins and how to work them while avoiding and glaring at anyone who tried to even attack them. Toriel had commented on how lucky he was that he had gotten away with only a few scratches, only to be met with a flexing (y/n) letting her know that he was strong in a multitude of ways.

After a quick chat, she allowed the two of them to shower while she made dinner. Frisk, of course, wanted to shower with him, and as much as (y/n) wanted to let him know he could bathe on his own, he just couldn't say no to Frisk.

That child had him wrapped around his fingers, and he knows it. 

After a shower, (y/n) had asked if there was way to return home. She had stayed quiet for a moment, before informing them that this was their new home. In all honesty, he didn't mind. Most people would be eager to return, but he wasn't, and he knew Frisk wasn't either. They didn't exactly live the ideal life, so of course he and Frisk just agreed and thanked her. 

He will admit though, he's never seen someone look so shocked and joyous as he had that day. 

Eventually they had grown used to the routine life they had. Toriel would wake them in their room (yes he said _their_ room, they had to share since the other room was being renovated) and will tell them it was morning. They would wash up and get ready to start their day, doing the usual things they normally would. Telling the time underground was harder than he thought, but he got the gist of it pretty quickly, the lights illuminating the ruins would dim when it was night up on the surface and that helped him out when it came to getting home before dark. Frisk seemed to really love it there, going out to talk to Froggits every now and then, meeting Napstablook just to chill and sometimes just roll around in the leaves. Toriel even took care of their education, more so with Frisk than with (y/n) since he liked to self study every now and then. 

Of course, it was fine until he found... The star. 

It happened randomly to be honest, he was walking around the ruins one day while Frisk was finishing up some homework that Toriel had given him, when he found it. A Moldsmal who knew him explained, though he was quiet about some things as he gave a sexy wiggle. The star seemed to only react to him and Frisk, and would glow whenever he got near. He never asks Frisk about it, and he never tried to touch it either. 

Something about that star... It just didn't feel right...

Moldsmal told him that Frisk had used it when they first arrived, but hasn't touched it since. Why would Frisk need to touch a random, floating star? Was it important? He didn't want to think about it much, so he just let it be. That is, until he tripped and touched it by accident when a Froggit tried to jump him randomly. Froggits can be so bipolar sometimes, it was a pain. Since then, (y/n) couldn't stop this feeling of dread that washed over his whole being. 

At night he'd wake up with a start, sometimes freaking out Frisk in the process. He'd be drenched in sweat, panting with tears in his eyes, all the while feeling a dull ache in different parts of his body. The strange part of it all? He never remembered the dreams he had that put him in such a state. 

He never told Toriel about it either, and he would try his best to reassure Frisk that he was fine, but it was unnerving. He almost became insomnic because of it, fortunately for him he fell asleep pretty fast while reading Toriel's book on snail farming, so that pretty much solved the insomnia problem a little.

"Morning." He greeted one morning, only to be met with silence. The house was empty, Frisk and Toriel were no where to be found, and he would have gone into a straight panic, if he hadn't seen the plate on the table with his breakfast and a note on it. "They went out huh?" He mumbled, letting out a yawn as he read the note. 

_My child, (y/n), Frisk and I have gone to get some ingredients for tonight's dinner. We will be back shortly, enjoy your breakfast and no, you cannot go out today to pick a fight with Froggit, I know you and him don't get along but you can't go around picking fights. With much love, Toriel._

A soft laugh left (y/n)'s lips, as he sat himself down in order to eat, he didn't know how long he had been there, but Toriel already knew him well. The same went with Frisk, he even calls her mom from time to time. (Y/n) did too, but that was only when he wanted her to give him an extra slice of Cinnamon Butterscotch pie. As for the fight with Froggit, he'll get him one of these days. 

Froggit was such a dick. 

As he finished his meal, (y/n) quickly washed his dishes and placed them onto the drying rack, before making his way to his and Frisk's room. Or so he wanted to, but for some reason, he stopped near the entrance to his small house. Turning, he couldn't help but stare at that staircase that seem to lead down to the basement. He had seen Toriel go down there a couple of times, every day at the same time on schedule, but never really questioned it nor thought about it until now. Him and Frisk never really bothered to check it out, and Toriel had already warned them to stay away from the stairs. What was down there? And why did it feel important, familiar even? Why did it feel as though he needed to go down there and... 

And what, exactly? 

Around this time, Toriel would be down there, doing who knows what. Without even realizing it, his legs began to move on their own, and before he knew it he was slowly making his way down. Just as he was about to make the turn and continue, the front door opened. Frisk ran in, bright smile on his face and just about ready to run to the bedroom until he spotted (y/n). His nephew stopped in his tracks and stood there, staring at him with a confused expression on his face, as though questioning him and what he was about to do. "Oh, w-welcome back." (Y/n) stuttered, quickly walking up the stairs and standing before his nephew as Toriel walked in. 

"Oh, you've awoken!" She began with a giggle. "Well, we've gotten everything we needed for dinner. You and Frisk have some free time, so why don't you two go out and play?" She told him, bright smile on her face as she held a basket with the ingredients for dinner. "S-Sure." (Y/n) stuttered, letting out nervous laugh as he gently grabbed Frisk's hand. While the two made their way towards the bedroom, Toriel stopped on her tracks and called after them. "And please (y/n), don't pick a fight with Froggit! Your arguments might agitate the other Froggits" 

"Awww... _Fine_..."

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

It took a while trying to get Frisk to keep quiet, especially since he knew he wasn't supposed to even be _near_ the stairway. Frisk promised to keep his mouth shut, on the condition that (y/n) give him the monster candy he had hidden behind their closet. 

It was a tough choice, but it had to be made. 

The next few days went by uneventful, but the need to go down to the basement just grew more and more. The dreams also became a little more intense, to the point where Frisk became worried and had to shake him awake. Apparently he was now thrashing around in his sleep, and according to Frisk, he kept whimpering and calling for someone to stop. 

This only got stranger and stranger to the point where he couldn't fight it anymore, he _needed_ to go down there. 

So one night when Frisk was fast asleep, (y/n) quickly dressed himself and snuck out of the room, wanting to slowly make his way towards the stairway. He knew that at this time, Toriel would be awake and re-reading her snail book on her chair, near the fireplace. Tip toeing his way down the hall, he was almost there until- 

"Uncle?" 

He tensed, freezing mid step as the soft pitter-patter of Frisk's feet was heard making his way towards him. Turning, he couldn't help but frown. He hadn't planned on waking his nephew, but it was inevitable now. If there was one thing the two had in common, it was the fact that they were both overly curious. "Frisk," (y/n) whispered, glancing quickly towards the livling/dinning area, before turning back to him with a nervous smile. "Go back to bed bud, I'll only be a minute." 

Frisk just stared at him, shaking his head. As he's mentioned before, Frisk was a pretty obedient kid when it came to (y/n), but again, he as overly curious so it wasn't all that shocking to see him ignore his uncle for the sake of satisfying his curiosity. 

And in all honesty, (y/n) would have done the same thing.

"Frisk please," (y/n) whispered, looking over his shoulder to make sure Toriel didn't walk in on them, before turning back to his nephew. "I just have to check something out downstairs, I'll be right back I promise." But Frisk wasn't having any of it, with a small huff, he puffed out his chest and crossed his arms. He held a determined expression, and (y/n) knew that once he was determined, there was no going back. The elder of the two bit his lip, sweating nervously as he glanced behind him quickly, before exhaling silently through his nose. Guess he had no choice this time, he had to take Frisk with him. "Fine... You can come with me.." Hearing this made Frisk smile, as he jumped on the spot with excitement. "But you have to be quiet, we can't let Toriel find out." With a nod, Frisk shuffled his way to (y/n)'s side, grabbing a hold of his hand before the two quietly walked down the steps, making it close to the basement. But right as they were close to the bottom, they had been caught.

"(Y/n)? Frisk? What are you two doing awake?" 

Turning, (y/n) met Toriel's surprised gaze, feeling himself grow nervous as she made her way towards them. "You should not be here," she began, quickly shooing them both away before coxing them to walk up the stairs and towards their bedroom. "It's late, you two should be in bed by now." 

"B-But Toriel! What's down there?" (Y/n) asked, stopping in his tracks with Frisk in tow. Turning, he knew what was below their tiny house was something important, something that she didn't want them to see judging by the look on her face. "I-It's nothing. Now run along, off to bed, it's getting late so-"

"But Toriel-"

"H-How about I read you story?" She interrupted, trying hard to avoid the subject. 

"Toriel listen, I-" 

"O-Or I can read you a snail fact!" She stuttered, walking up ahead of them without looking back. By now, even Frisk was getting frustrated. He, too, wanted Toriel to spill the beans about what was down there that was so important that she had to hide it. "D-Did you know, my children, that snails usually travel in irregular paths, often travelling in a circle-"

"Mom please!" 

Toriel stopped in her tracks, not bothering to glance behind her as (y/n) continued. "Please," he begged in a soft tone. Frisk squeezed his hand, sensing his distress and desperation and hoping that he could calm his uncle down. "Please... I _need_ to know what's down there..." 

Toriel stayed quiet, still as a statue all the while her children waited. They wanted to know, _needed_ to, and were begging for answers. But what did she expect? They would have asked her about the basement sooner or later, she just didn't expect it to be so soon... 

Not so soon...

"Why do you want to know what's down there?" She asked softly, her words piercing through (y/n)'s heart like a knife. He didn't want to hurt her, he would never hurt her, but he needed to know. This feeling, this feeling of wanting to continue forward and discover, to find another star or just get going to a better part was so overwhelming. It was eating him from the inside, he needed to escape the Ruins and finish, if not finish than complete at least a certain percentage of it. Of what, he had no idea, but he knew he needed to one way or another, or else who knows what'll happen. "I... I feel the need to explore... I feel like Frisk and I... We need to get out of here, not permanently, but just to explore..." (Y/n) confessed, being unable to put his true feelings into words that she would understand. "But... I don't want to leave..." By now, his voice had soften, just barely above a whisper as his feelings began to bubble up inside of him and finally spill. "Mom... I don't want to leave you... I want to be here with you and Frisk forever... I don't understand these feelings..." He sniffles, fighting back the urge to cry. He will not cry damn it! He was just frustrated, that's why there were tears fighting him. "Mom... Please..." 

That seemed to have broken her, for within seconds both he and Frisk were swept into her tight embrace. She was holding them close, not wanting to let them go as (y/n) buried his face into her shoulder, she smelled like cinnamon and butterscotch, and her warm embrace was like a security blanket washing away all of his fears and negative feelings. By now, Frisk was also hugging her back tightly, sobbing softly as he kept his hold on his uncle's hand, refusing to let go. He's always been pretty sensitive to feelings, mostly (y/n)'s. It was something his sister hated, mostly because she wanted Frisk to be more like her stoic and jerk of a husband. That's also why she rarely let (y/n) visit, not that that's ever stopped him from seeing Frisk. After a moment of nothing but quiet sobs, soft words of comfort and embracing, Toriel gave in. 

"I understand..." She whispered, leaning back away from them. Her large hands cupped both (y/n) and Frisk's cheek as she gazed down at them with such a saddening fondness, it broke their hearts. Taking in a deep breath through her nose, she stood, hesitating a bit about letting them go, before allowing her hands to fall to her sides. "Go pack your things, I will meet you two downstairs and explain everything..." With that, she walked towards her bedroom and closed the door softly behind her. They didn't move for a while, just standing there staring at her bedroom door. What did this all mean? Was it the end of their happy days? Was their little family going to break apart, all because he was selfish and wanted to know what was in the basement? As these questions and more rushed through his head, he was brought back to reality by a small tug of his hand. Glancing down, he watched in surprise as Frisk pulled him into their room, closing the door behind him. Letting go of (y/n)'s hand, he ran to where they kept the now empty duffle bag and opened it. Frisk was determined to find out what was in the basement, stuffing their clothes and the hidden snacks that they had into it. It made (y/n) envious of him, how is it that a seven year old was so much more mature, emotionally strong and filled with determination than he was? 

As Frisk finished stuffing the last shirt in, along with that soft blanket that (y/n) seemed to like bringing with him everywhere, he zipped it up and stood. Seeing that his nephew would be unable to lift it, (y/n) quickly walked over to him and slung it over his shoulder, surprised to find it much heavier than it was when he had first arrived there. "I think we're good now." (Y/n) grunted, adjusting the strap as he made his way towards the door. He didn't want to leave, but he knew he had no other choice, this overwhelming feeling of anxiety wouldn't leave him unless he followed his instincts and went down to the basement. "Let's go Frisk," he began, opening the door only to stop when he didn't feel Frisk at his heels. "Frisk?" He asked, turning his head and widening his eyes when he saw his nephew, his _precious little angel of a nephew,_ standing near him holding a knife in his hands. 

"Frisk! What the hel- Harry Potter are you holding?!" (Y/n) exclaimed, nearly losing his balance when he turned around to rush to Frisk's side. "You shouldn't be playing with- oh, it's a toy knife." He muttered in disbelief, examining the thing. 

This knife, this toy knife was not a good thing... 

"I'll, uh, I'll hold onto this for now..." He told him, pocketing the knife before picking up Frisk and heading towards the open door. "Let's go bud, Toriel's probably waiting for us." It wasn't a long walk from their room towards the stairs, but with each step they took going down, that tightening feeling he held in his chest began to loosen, almost as though making progress helped him feel more in control than staying in the Ruins. Walking down a long hall, he finally met with Toriel, who held a sad expression while waiting for them. "Follow me." She mumbled, turning on her heels to turn a corner and walk off. (Y/n) and Frisk shared a look of confusion, before nodding as (y/n) ran to catch up. The walk was pretty long and silent, with nothing but walls and a long hall to greet them. He won't lie, it made him pretty nervous to be there, but he knew he had no other choice. He was making progress, and that's all that he needed to care about at the moment. 

After what felt like an eternity, they finally made it into a room where two large doors stood, closed and resembling the ones he had seen when he and Frisk first got there and met... Flowey... 

Standing before the door with her back to them was Toriel, not moving an inch and standing there in silence. The minutes passed them by until she finally spoke, breaking that nerve wreaking silence. "This is the end of the Ruins. This door is a one way exit to the end of the underground..." She explained, before slowly turning around to face them. "If the both of you truly wish to leave the Ruins, I will not stop you..." 

"Mom..." (Y/n) whispered, feeling the guilt crawl up his spine as she walked towards them. Standing before them she gave them a small smile, her eyes reflecting the nervousness, hesitation and sorrow that (y/n) felt, as she reached her hands down to cup both his and Frisk's cheek once more. "I... I knew this day would come, the day when you'll both want to leave, and I understand why. I can't keep you both here forever, you need to spread your wings and be able to explore..." She began. "But it's dangerous out there... I just wanted to keep you both safe, yet I know that I cannot keep you here forever."

"Mama..." Frisk mumbled, nuzzling into Toriel's large palm. Now (y/n) felt horrible, how could he take Frisk away from all of this? From all of this kindness, safety and bliss? 

"I know you do not wish to leave..." Toriel whispered, sending them a smile as she let go of their cheeks. "So I want you to have this, (y/n)." Reaching into her pocket, Toriel pulled out an old cellphone, handing it to Frisk. "I know that I cannot stop you, you two will have to grow up sooner or later, but I will always be here should you want to return." 

"Mom..." (Y/n) whispered, glancing up at her with awe. She was too kind, _too precious._

"If you ever wish to return home, all you have to do is come to this door and call me, I will be here to open it for you." She explained, wiping away tears that had begun to prickle the edge of her eyes. "I will miss you both, please do not forget to call me once in a while to let me know how you're both doing. This will always be your home to return to no matter where you are." 

She was willing to let them go, she was giving them a cellphone to keep in contact, and she was allowing them to return to the place they had called home for what felt like months. This time, tears welled up in (y/n)'s eyes, and he wasn't ashamed of them. Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out to her with his free hand and hugged her torso, holding Frisk tightly as he did so. She was taken by surprise by the sudden action, but held them both tightly. 

Neither of them wanted to let go, for fear of losing the other. But eventually, they had to, or else they wouldn't be able to progress. Leaning back, Toriel wiped a tear from her eye as she let out a soft laugh. "Y-You should get going my children, or else it will be harder for all of us..." She was right, they both knew she was right, but that didn't stop the sharp pain in his heart as he let her go. With a nod, he carried Frisk to the two large doors, ready to open them and leave the Ruins for the first time. Nostalgia washed over him like a wave, but he tried to get rid of it, almost as though the feeling wasn't a good one. Stopping as he opened it slightly, both he and Frisk turned to glance at Toriel from over their shoulder one last time, sending her a sad smile. She returned the smile, lifting her hand to wave it at them, looking like a mother watching her children go out to discover the world for the first time. With a nod, (y/n) turned and walked in, taking a few steps in and hearing the door close behind him, followed by a soft click! 

Behind the door was another long hall, which brought nothing but confusion. Swallowing thickly, (y/n) took in a deep breath and began to make his way down the long hall. As they walked, he could feel Frisk becoming uneasy with everything, not that he could blame him. It was very eerie where they were, and the air was tensed, filled with nothing but hatred. It was the same as when they had encountered Flowey, and the Gods know he didn't want to relive that accident again. At the end of the hall was another entrance, a doorless entryway, just beckoning them to enter. 

As much as he didn't want to, he knew he had no other choice but to enter. Pushing down his fear, he glanced at Frisk, who nodded at him in return, before turning back to the entryway and entering. 

It was dark at first, with only what seemed to be a spotlight before them. It was strange, but he walked in further. That was when he knew what that feeling of fear was. There, on a small patch of grass, sat Flowey. Had Toriel betrayed them? No, no that couldn't be. She was such a kind woman, she'd never do such a thing. 

"Clever," Flowey began. "Verrrrryyyy clever. You think you're really smart, huh _(y/n)._ " The way he had said his name really irritated him, but he kept his mouth shut and his guard up. The last thing he wanted was to let Flowey's mocking get to him. 

Not today asshole, not today. 

"Don't you know kid? In this world, it's kill or _be_ killed!" He exclaimed, using his leaves for hands and extending them, attempting to be all dramatic. You know. If he wasn't such a jerk, he'd have looked pretty cute. "So you were able to play by your own rules, and maybe the outcome of it was different than normal, but what does that matter? You spared the life of a single person, hee hee hee, I bet you feel really great-"

"Uh, yeah, we do." (Y/n) interrupted, holding Frisk close and sending Flowey the sassiest look he could muster. "We weren't going to kill our mother, who do you take us for? Some sick, twisted bas- er, jerks that like to hurt anyone in their wake?" At first Flowey looked both enraged and shocked that he was interrupted, but after hearing that last piece, he turned to stare at Frisk with a knowing smirk. Honestly, if (y/n) could have, he would have stomped on Flowey ages ago. 

"Well, _you_ didn't kill anyone _this_ time," Flowey announced, making sure to look at Frisk and ignoring (y/n)'s growls, before turning to the elder of the two with a mocking smile. "But what will you both do if you meet a relentless killer?" 

Of course, (y/n) didn't want to answer that. He didn't want to say that he'd slaughter someone, even if he knew he would if it meant keeping Frisk safe from harm. 

"You'll both die, and you'll die, and you'll die." Flowey said casually. Honestly, he was asking for a good game of petal pulling. "Until you tire of trying, what will you two do then?" Suddenly, his face turned creepy, as he stared at them both with a smile, showing off the sharp teeth he harboured, causing (y/n) to pull Frisk closer to his chest and turn to the side. Should Flowey attack, he was ready for it. "Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world? ... And let me inherit the power to control it?"

 _'The power to control the underground?'_ (Y/n) thought, not liking where this was going. 

"I am the prince of this world's future!" Flowey announced, as though meaning it. "Don't worry, my little monarches, my plan isn't regicide. This is SO much more interesting." With that, he pushed his petals back to show his face, and gave out a creepy laugh. As soon as he finished laughing, he disappeared right into the ground and out of sight. (Y/n) glanced around the room, wondering where Flowey had gone and what exactly was he planning, until Frisk tugged at his shirt. "Uncle, look!" Turning his head, he looked straight to where Frisk was pointing at, only to see what appeared to be another entryway. Wasting no time, he ran right across the room and out of there. 

Hopefully there are monsters much kinder than that asshole Flowey, he could use another Toriel in his life for him and Frisk. If they ran into any rude or evil monsters, he might have to find a way to defend himself and Frisk no matter what. 

And maybe, just maybe, these strange feelings of saving will leave...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a while, sorry about that... Motivation for this chapter:
> 
> https://youtu.be/jbPjhoBHNH4


	4. Spooky Scary Skeletons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When you fell asleep, I was sort of surprised. It's never happened before, to be honest." Sans told him, watching with amusement as the young teen got up from under the station with Frisk in his arms, rubbing his eye with a free hand. "No Hunan's hidden here before?" (Y/n) asked in a tired tone, groaning in pain when the duffle bag he had forgotten he had been carrying weighed him down a bit. 
> 
> "No, more like, you never existed until now so this timeline is new to me..." Sans muttered under his breath, watching as the elder of the two tried his hardest to stay awake. "Just how did you get here and why?... Another genocide run?" 
> 
> In which the walk towards Snowdin was longer that anticipated, and meeting a pair of skeletons that (y/n) never knew he'd grow fond of. But all he really wanted was some rest!

_'It's cold!'_ Was the first thing that came to (y/n)'s mind, as he glanced around him. He was just glad that Frisk was wearing a sweater, but if he was cold (y/n) would take out his blanket from the duffle bag and wrap him around it. 

People made fun of him for carrying around a blanket in case, but who's laughing now? 

"Cold, isn't it?" (Y/n) asked Frisk, turning to him only to see him look perfectly fine. Frisk turned to him and just shrugged his shoulders, not really feeling the chilly air around them and looking perfectly content with himself. Rolling his eyes playfully, (y/n) turned to the side with a smile, only to furrow his brow at the sight of something sparkling in the light. "The hel- Hello Kitty is that?" He mumbled, squinting his eyes at an object that was shining near a large rock that sat near the door. Upon closer inspection, both he and Frisk were surprised to find a camera hidden near the bushes. "Okay?" He mumbled, lifting a hand to wave at it. "Bonjour! I am (N/n) and zis is Frisky! We are happy to make your acquaintance!" He joked, using the weirdest French accent he could muster and smiling when Frisk let out a giggle. When he was up on the surface, he used to grab any and all cameras or recording objects and play announcer with Frisk, it was something he loved to do, using strange accents and making up strange names just to make his nephew laugh. Chuckling himself, he ruffled Frisk's hair affectionately and held him close to shield him from the cold wind that blew by. 

 Maybe wearing his favourite shirt wasn't a good decision on his part... 

"Let's go bud? I'll see if I can use the gold I have used up in the duffle bag and buy us something for the road." He suggested, chuckling once again when Frisk gave an excited nod. With that, the two gave the camera one last wave and walked on. 

Now that he took a good look around, he realized just how eerie the place was. Tall trees surrounded the path they walked on, as the cold wind blew by, causing a chill to run down his spine. ' _Creepy_ ,' he thought to himself, walking at a moderate pace while taking a good look around. _'This is nothing like the Ruins...'_

As they walked on, (y/n)'s foot caught on something, causing him to stumble a bit as Frisk let out a surprised gasp. Fortunately for him, he was able to catch himself before he fell, hopping on one foot and heaving a sigh of relief when he was able to stand properly. "That was close huh?" He asked Frisk, blushing slightly in embarrassment when Frisk just sent him an angry look, cheeks puffed out in irritation with his arms crossed over his chest. "S-Sorry! Sorry!" He quickly apologized, before turning to see what he had nearly tripped on. 

It was a tough-looking branch, probably too heavy to pick up. 

"Whoa, I better be careful or I'll take a quick trip only for you to see me next fall..." He muttered, shaking his head before turning around to continue walking. Lucky for him, Frisk had forgiven him, especially since he was, of course, Frisk's favourite uncle. 

As they walked on in a pretty happy mood, they heard it, the sound of a branch snapping in half. And not just any branch, most likely the one behind them. Upon hearing the sound, (y/n) tensed up, freezing on the spot as he waited. Someone was following him, he could feel their gaze on the back of his head. Frisk seemed completely oblivious to what was going on, especially since he turned to (y/n) with a raised eyebrow. Turning to glance over his should, he confirmed his suspicions. 

The branch from before was now on the ground and snapped in two. 

' _Shit, if it's Flowey, I'll need to protect myself and Frisk no matter what.'_ He thought, taking a quick glance around, before turning back to walk at a much slower pace. He needed to focus, to calm down and keep his guard up. The last thing he needed was to freak out Frisk, Frisk came first before anyone else. The more he walked the eerier it seemed to get, with the once cool breeze suddenly ceasing in favour of helping the place out. At first it seemed quiet, a little _too_ quiet, and (y/n) was just about to drop his guard, until he heard something. 

It was the sound of footsteps crunching the snow. 

This time he didn't bother to turn around, it would be best to pretend he didn't hear anything. But the more he walked, the more he knew he was closer and closer to meeting their pursuer. Somehow, he doubted it was Flowey, and although he wanted to be cautious at the fact that it _could_ be him, he just knew that whoever it was that was following him wasn't hostile per say. Could it be instincts telling him this? Why did it feel familiar, like, he's been there before? As they walked, the neared a bridge with a large fence on it. Was it supposed to keep people in or out? If so, why were the bars so big anyways? As soon as they got close to the bridge, he stopped, causing Frisk to turn to him with a confused expression. (Y/n) stood there, waiting patiently until he heard it again, the footsteps. They drew closer and closer until Frisk heard them too, causing him to glance around in his uncle's arms to see where they were coming from. It wasn't long until the footsteps stopped right behind him, as soft breathing soon followed.

"H u m a n..." A voice began, causing a chill to run down (y/n)'s spine. He just hoped this monster was kind. 

"D o n ' t  y o u  k n o w  h o w  t o  g r e e t  a  n e w  p a l?" 

The voice was creepy, yet oddly familiar. It didn't hold any malice, and it definitely didn't sound like it belonged to someone who really wanted to end them like he had imagined it would be. 

"T u r n  a r o u n d  a n d  s h a k e  m y  h a n d."

(Y/n) swallowed thickly, being unsure of how to handle the situation. Frisk seemed eager to turn around, but then again he seemed eager to do anything as long as it meant going on an adventure. Taking in a deep breath, he slowly turned and positioned Frisk in his arms, freeing one hand and moving it to shake the monster's extended palm. He didn't really have time to look at him until-

_**Pffffffffffffffffpppppppppptttttttt!** _

"Hehehe, the old Whoopie cushion in the hand trick... It's always funny." 

Retracting his hand as Frisk giggled, (y/n) lifted his head to finally gaze at the monster. To be fair, if he hadn't been with Toriel or hadn't gotten into arguments with Froggits, consoled Whimsuns, eaten some greens with Vegetoid or even had a wiggling contest with Moldsmal, he would have freaked out at the sight of a LITERAL SKELETON STANDING BEFORE HIM. 

He seemed a bit surprised, staring at (y/n) as though he were something new, before he stuffed his hands into his blue hoodie's pocket and tilted his head to the side. "Anyways, you're a human right?" He asked, sounding almost rehearsed. "Uh, yes _we_ are?" (Y/n) corrected with a raised eyebrow, he wondered if the skeleton could see Frisk in his arms or only noticed him. He seemed shocked for a seconded, before shrugging his shoulders and nodding. "Uh, yeah sure," he began. "That's hilarious. I'm Sans, Sans the Skeleton." 

 _'Sans as in... Comic Sans, the font?'_ (Y/n) thought, but kept his mouth shut and allowed him to continue. 

"I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but... Y'know... I don't really care about capturing anyone..." 

Now, (y/n) was never one for catching someone when they're lying since he's never been good at it, nor has he ever been good at lying, but he could have sworn this 'Sans' character was full of metaphorical shit. Or at least, he wasn't telling the _whole_ truth. It all felt like he's been there before, and just thinking about it bothered him. What was going on? Why was he feeling this way? And why was the skeleton staring at him as though he were just as suspicious of (y/n) as (y/n) was suspicious of him?

 "Now my brother, Papyrus..." 

 _'Oh my Gods he has a brother... Who's also named after a font...'_  (Y/n) thought in amusement, ironically Papyrus was one of his favourite fonts. 

"He's a human-hunting FANATIC." 

(Y/n) took notice of the small glint of amusement in Sans' eye socket, probably because as soon as he said 'human-hunting fanatic,' (y/n) wrapped his arms around Frisk's small frame protectively and took a step back. "Hey, actually, I think that's him over there." (Y/n) was sure he had jumped three feet into the air in surprise, all the while Frisk let out a giggle at his uncle's strange reaction. Sans must have also found it funny, for he let out a small snort, before turning to him with his permanent smile. "I have an idea, go through this gate thingy. Yeah go right through, my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone." (Y/n) wanted to snort and laugh, but all that was really on his mind was getting Frisk away from the HUMAN-HUNTING FANATIC. Without missing a beat, the elder of the two humans turned on his heels and walked across the bridge and towards the other side, with Sans following right behind him. They both stopped near a small station where a lamp that was conveniently shaped like Frisk stood. "Quick! Behind that conveniently-shaped-" Not even bothering to listen to Sans, (y/n) ran towards the small station and did a dive behind it.

He's never been so glad to be short as he did in that moment.

Quickly sitting down with his back to the side of the station, he sat Frisk down onto his lap and pressed a finger to his lips, telling him to please be quiet. As he sat there, he heard Sans let out what appeared to be a chuckle, before muttering 'unbelievable' under his breath. It wasn't long until a pair of footsteps were heard, with Sans greeting them and a new voice making (y/n) jump in such surprise that he ended up hitting his head on the top of the station. 

"YOU KNOW WHAT'S 'SUP,' BROTHER. IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU _STILL_ HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES!" 

If (y/n) wasn't so fearful of being caught, he'd would've asked whoever it was to please, for the love of Gold, lower his voice. It was starting to give him a headache, he was amazed that Frisk could handle all of this yelling with a straight face. 

"YOU JUST HANG OUTSIDE YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Papyrus asked, clearly becoming frustrated with his brother. 

"Oh nothing, just looking at my station, it looks like a pretty good hiding spot, don't'cha think?" (Y/n)'s never wanted to punch someone so hard in the nose as he did at that moment, and Sans didn't even _have_ a nose! He better not rat them out or so help him, he'd break his arm. 

"SANS! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!" Papyrus yelled, stomping his foot onto the ground and grunting. "WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?!? I WANT TO BE READY, I WILL BE THE ONE, I _MUST_ BE THE ONE, I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN AND THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!" 

If (y/n) didn't know better, he would have assumed that Papyrus was a child. A small, sweet child that wants to be great and- ah hell, if he ends up sympathizing with a 'human-hunting fanatic' who knows what he'll do just to see him happy. Ah but that's highly unlikely, I mean, there's no way he'd feel bad for a skeleton that wants to capture both him and Frisk. 

"RESPECT... RECOGNITION... I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK, TO, BE MY, FRIEND,'"

 _'Ah crap_ ,' (y/n) thought, holding Frisk close to his chest. ' _Great, he has no friends... Now I feel bad for him._..' 

"I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING." 

"hm, well, maybe there's something under my station that can help you." Sans commented, the amusement clear in his voice. (Y/n) gritted his teeth and cursed Sans under his breath as Frisk slowly nodded off to sleep, Sans was a real douche wasn't he? Why was he so keen on getting them caught? 

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZY BONES! ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE." 

Hearing this whole conversation was boring (y/n) out, causing him to slowly nod off to sleep. But he had to fight it, they had to finish at some point, right? He needed to stay awake, he needed to pay attention. But maybe, tuning them out wouldn't hurt, neither would a small nap, right? As he thought that, (y/n) wrapped his arms around Frisk and adjusted him so that he was comfortable, before closing his eyes and slowly falling asleep. 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

(Y/n) grumbled when he felt a hand shake him, trying to get him to wake up. "Hey kid, wake up pal, you've been sleeping for a while now." At the sound of a foreign voice waking him up, the young teen jump and turned his head to meet with Sans greeting him. Instinctively, he held Frisk protectively against his chest, sending the skeleton a small glare as a warning. 

Lifting his arms up as though to show him he was harmless, Sans let out a soft chuckle, before moving away a bit and stuffing his hands into his hoodie's pocket. "When you fell asleep, I was sort of surprised. It's never happened before, to be honest." Sans told him, watching with amusement as the young teen got up from under the station with Frisk in his arms, rubbing his eye with a free hand. "No Human's hidden here before?" (Y/n) asked in a tired tone, groaning in pain when the duffle bag he had forgotten he had been carrying weighed him down a bit. 

"No, more like, _you_ never existed until now so this timeline is new to me..." Sans muttered under his breath, watching as the elder of the two tried his hardest to stay awake. "Just how did you get here and why?... Another genocide run?" 

"Eh?" (Y/n) asked, blinking for a bit before turning to Sans with a confused expression. 

"Nothing, nothing." Sans murmured with a chuckle. "Anyways you ought to get going, my bro might come back you know." Sans warned, sending (y/n) a wink. "And if he does... You'll have to sit through my hilarious jokes." (Y/n) wasn't fully awake yet to understand what Sans was trying to say to him, so he just nodded and began to walk away. As soon as he was a little more aware of his surrounding and was just a few feet away, Sans called out to him. "Actually, hey... Hate to bother ya," he began, as (y/n) turned to glance at him from over his shoulder. "Can you do me a favour?" He asked, taking notice of the confused expression on the elder of the two's face. "I was thinking... My brother's been kinda down lately... He's never seen a human before, and seeing you guys might make his day." (Y/n) was unsure, what if he allowed Papyrus to see them, only to have them both captured and have who knows what done to them! As though sensing (y/n)'s worries, Sans lifted his hand and waved it aimlessly, as though to dismiss whatever bad thoughts (y/n) might have been having. "Don't worry, he's not dangerous. Even if he tries to be. Thanks a million, I'll be up ahead." And with that, he turned on his heels and began to walk off in the opposite direction. It left (y/n) completely confused at not only what he said, but also where he want. He was pretty sure his brother had gone the other way. With a shrug of his shoulders, (y/n) checked his snoozing nephew to make sure he was comfortable, before going on his way. He was pretty tired, cold and hungry,  and he hoped this place had an inn or hotel for him to rest at, he could use another power nap. As he walked on the path, he spotted it. 

The star, one that was exactly like the one back at the Ruins!

Was this star everywhere? Why did it appear randomly, and why did it seem to glow when he got closer to it? Shaking his head, he decided that it would be best to touch it on his own this time and see what happens, maybe that way he could better understand what was going on. As he lifted his free hand, he felt beads of sweat begin to form above his brow. This made him anxious, as though something wasn't right about the one who previously touched the star. Reaching out, he placed his hand on it's warm glow, and before he knew it, a bunch of images flashed through his mind. 

Frisk chatting with a monster child. 

Frisk walking around with that toy knife. 

Frisk wearing a dirty tutu. 

Frisk with Sans at a bar, his sweater covered in ketchup. 

Frisk fighting some weird robot with surprisingly sexy legs. 

All these images and more flooded into his mind, only confusing him more and more as questions began to bubble up inside him. Why was frisk here? Had he been here before? What did this star mean? And why, why did he feel as if there was more to this than he thought? (Y/n) made sure to take mental notes and remember this, he needed to find out what he was dealing with and why his nephew was involved with it all. Was it because he had been missing for a month and a week before (y/n) found him? Or was it more than that? Feeling the need to know more, (y/n) moved his hand automatically and before he knew it, a soft sound was heard and a large sign floated above the star. 

 ** _SAVED_**. 

 _'Saved? Saved what?'_ (Y/n) thought, furrowing his brows in confusion. Was this a good or bad thing? If he didn't know better, he would have thought he was marking his spot to return to should anything happen. Heaving a sigh, (y/n) quickly turned and continued his walk, he needed to find an inn before he fell asleep right then and there and caused Frisk to get sick. His feet felt heavier and heavier as he walked on, groaning under his breath at the dull ache he was beginning to feel on his shoulder, the duffle bag was becoming a small nuisance but he knew he needed it so he had to deal with the pain. He wasn't really watching where he was going, just staring down at the ground with a tired gaze until he heard that all too familiar voice speak up. 

"SO, AS I SAYING ABOUT UNDYN..." Papyrus began, before turning around to meet (y/n)'s eyes. The teen could have sworn he felt his heart jump to his throat in shock, as the two skeletons stood there up ahead, blocking the pathway. Papyrus didn't say a single word as he stared, before turning to Sans and then turning back. Sans also looked at (y/n), faking his surprise as he looked at Papyrus and then back. This went on for a couple of minutes, until Papyrus finally broke the uncomfortable silence when they both turned their backs to (y/n). "SANS!! OH MY GOD, IS THAT... A HUMAN?" Papyrus asked in a loud whisper, not moving an inch as he tried to confirm what he had just seen. When they both suddenly turned around, (y/n) placed a gentle hand on the back of Frisk's head and took a small, cautious step back. If they advanced, he would turn and run. 

"Uhhh... Actually, I think that's a rock." Sans commented, snorting at the questioning look (y/n) sent him, when he pointed to the rock a few feet away from the teen. He was definitely amused with everything (y/n) did, and it was only annoying the teen. "OH." Papyrus muttered in slight disappointment, raising a brow at his brother who snickered at the bewildered look he received from the teen. "H-Hey," he began, calming himself down and trying to regain his composure. "W-What's that in front of the rock?" 

Taking a quick look, a gasp left Papyrus's mouth. "OH MY GOD!!!" He quickly turned to Sans and whispered rather loudly. "IS... IS _THAT_ A HUMAN?" By now, (y/n) had stopped listening to them and was too busy making sure Frisk was comfortable, by taking the blanket out of his duffle bag real quick and wrapping it around his nephew's small frame. He may look fine, but even he could get cold if he slept outside with the snow. 

"HUMAN!" 

(Y/n) looked up briefly, before going back to fixing the small burrito Frisk in his arms and zipping up the duffle bag with one hand. He'll pay attention to them, but for now, burrito Frisk and all his cuteness! 

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL STOP YOU!!" He announced, not noticing that (y/n) had literally stopped caring. "I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU-" 

 _'I wonder how much gold I have_ ,' (y/n) thought, gazing down at his sneakers and frowning _. 'Hopefully enough to pay for a room, our dinner and some winter clothes for us both.'_

"-CONTINUE... ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!" With that, Papyrus ran off happily, his laughter hanging in the air as he left Sans and (y/n) alone. Once his brother was out of sight, Sans turned to (y/n) with a smile, as though pleased with how everything went down. 

"Well, that went well." Sans began, raising a brow when (y/n) just sent him a suspicious look. "Anyways kid, don't sweat it. I'll keep an eye socket out for ya. Both you and Frisk." With a quick wink, he turned on his heels and walked off, leaving (y/n) there in utter confusion until. "H-Hey wait!" He called out, fixing burrito Frisk in his arms before running after Sans.

"How do you know Frisk's name?!"

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

It was a long day, especially after meeting both Sans _and_ his brother. He had to avoid a Snowdrake by laughing at his jokes, even if they were pretty bad, he had to ignore an Icecap's hat in order to spare him and watch him leave, even if he couldn't care less about it. 

The worst part about walking down the path was standing still, apparently there actually existed a dog that could only see moving objects. That was pretty risky, the worst part of it was actually almost tripping and having the darn dog start a battle with him. Keeping completely still, he was able to pet the animal and try not to laugh at how shocked he was to be petted. 

Apparently his name was Doggo. 

After the Doggo incident, he met up once again with Sans, who warned him about Papyrus' special attack. However, he refused to answer (y/n)'s question on how he knew Frisk's name. Just who was he, and why did he feel familiar? Like a close friend or... Someone you don't want as an enemy...?

On the way he met a snowman who wanted to travel the world. Now, he knew he didn't really have enough room to be carrying so much, but he felt so bad for the snowman that he _had_ to take him with him. 

And now here he stood, a sleeping Frisk burrito in his arm, a snowman's snow piece in a bag in his pant pocket, and an overall irritated expression as he prepared himself to do a puzzle that Papyrus had created for him. Sans, who stood next to his brother, couldn't help but smile broadly at the teen's state. He found this amusing, didn't he? Ah, (y/n) knew that he and Sans, they might clash at some point and it won't be pretty. Especially since (y/n) didn't really take too kindly to... Teasing...

"-MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE... QUITE SHOCKING!" Papyrus announced, not really seeing the way (y/n) groaned in annoyance. "FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE... ELECTRICITY MAZE!" 

' _Excuse me, what?'_ (Y/n) thought bitterly, glancing down at the ground. ' _As if I'll cross that!'_

"WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!" Papyrus explained, holding the orb in his hand with a smile. "OKAY, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW." 

(Y/n) stood there, unsure for a moment, until he realized that the maze only shocked you, if you held the orb. But, won't Papyrus get hurt? ' _Ah hell, he's already dead so it won't shock him_ that _badly_.' With that thought in mind, (y/n) walked up to the maze and-

**_ZZZZzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzzaaaaaAaaaAaaaAAaaaPPpppppp!!!_ **

Papyrus stood on his spot in shock, looking chard to a crisp as (y/n) let out a gasp in shock. "Holy crap are you okay?" He asked, realizing how lucky he was that he wasn't holding onto that orb. What would have happened to Frisk if he had? 

Ignoring (y/n), or not hearing him, Papyrus turned to his brother and stomped his foot. "SANS! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?" He accused, all the while Sans just shrugged. "Uh, I think the big human has to hold the orb." Sans suggested, nodding his head towards (y/n). "OH, OKAY." Papyrus muttered in agreement, turning on his heels to walk towards him. He made his way around the puzzle, his shoe prints marking the path for (y/n) before standing in front of him, holding the orb for him to take. "HOLD THIS PLEASE!" He quickly said, throwing the orb in the air before running back to his brother's side. Just as (y/n) was about to make a grab for the orb, it bounced off of his head and almost fell onto the floor near the maze. He was just glad he had quick reflexes, or that would have ended badly. Sans, who had seen him nearly drop the orb almost used his magic to catch it, bit let out a sigh of relief when the teen caught it in time. It's been a while since he's been taken by surprise, he actually found himself enjoying today. Letting out a sigh of relief, (y/n) gazed at the orb for a minute, examining it before looking back at Papyrus. "OKAY, TRY NOW." Papyrus began, waiting eagerly for him to move. With an eyebrow raised at the taller skeleton in confusion, the teen shrug his shoulders and began to make his way through the maze while following Papyrus' footsteps. 

"INCREDIBLE, YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!" Papyrus exclaimed, completely shocked. "YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY... _TOO_ EASILY..." He mumbled, humming to himself before continuing. "HOWEVER! THE NEXT PUZZLE WON'T BE SO EASY. IT WILL BE DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM!" And with a laugh, Papyrus ran off, a skip in his step as he did so. (Y/n) watched him with a slight smile, he was slowly growing fond of the taller skeleton, he didn't seem that bad. With a fond shake of his head, the teen turned and walked over to Sans, quickly throwing the orb to the ground and readjusting a sleeping Frisk in his arms. "Hey, thanks..." Sans began, sending the teen a smile. "My brother seems like he's having fun. By the way, did you see that weird outfit he's wearing?" (Y/n) just nodded. "We made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. He hasn't worn anything else since... Keeps calling it his 'battle body.'" 

"Aww, that's cute." (Y/n) commented, smiling a bit when Sans just chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it kinda is huh?" He asked. "Isn't my brother cool?" 

"The coolest." (Y/n) agreed, and he meant it. He may not have known Papyrus for long, but he had a feeling that the taller of the two was a big softy, someone who will make you want to protect them no matter what. Sans just chuckled, causing the teen to also let out a soft laugh of their own, before they nodded at each other. "Anyway, thanks for doin' this for me kid. I know you're tired but, just bare with a few more puzzles until you get to Snowdin." Lifting his hand, Sans placed it onto (y/n)'s shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze. "There's an inn there, it's run by a friend of mine so you can just get in and get some rest, but for now, please hold out a little longer." (Y/n) really wanted to just lay down and rest, but he knew it'd be best to stay awake for a while. 

And who knows! Maybe the next puzzles will be pretty easy! 

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

The puzzles were easier than he expected. 

It was all crazy from start to finish, with a few battles in between. Now, he knew he should be taking Papyrus serious since he could be faking it, but how can you hate someone who was too cute for their own good?

Leaving two plates of pasta out, a small one for Frisk and a big one for him, with a microwave and a note was just too cute for him to handle. There had been a star there, and without hesitation he had ' _ **SAVED**_ ' with a smile. Honestly, he was glad he helped Sans with his brother, a happy Papyrus was an awesome one. It was unfortunate that the pasta was _so_ cold, it was stuck to the table, even the microwave that was left there to heat up the food was useless since you couldn't plug it in anywhere. But, it was the thought that counts, and Papyrus was sweet for considering them. 

The one enemy that he had encountered that pissed him off was lesser dog, the bastard ended up waking Frisk with his panting. Fortunately, Frisk fell right back asleep when (y/n) finished petting lesser dog, so that was a good thing. 

Now, entering a battle with Dogamy and Dogaressa was the difficult part of the journey. They knew his and Frisk's scent, and had tried hard to identify them, it had taken all of (y/n)'s skills to dodge their attacks while keeping Frisk safe from harm. He did, at some point, trip and fall on his arse pretty hard, and it had stirred Frisk from his slumber. But by some, unknown miracle, snow and dirt fell on him and Frisk from behind, coating their original scents and causing the two canines to assume they were just a pair of lost puppies. With a few affectionate pats to their heads here and there, he was able to spare the two and go on his way. 

Meeting up with Papyrus and seeing just how sweet he was, assuming that he had left the pasta there to share it with him, made (y/n) decide something important. 

Papyrus was a precious creature that he'll protect no matter what. 

As he went on with finishing the puzzles left for him, as well as bumping into monsters that wanted to battle him, he realized that the urge to complete something, to progress was gone. It was almost as though it was never there to begin with, but why did it leave? And why was he asking so many questions? Honestly, if he didn't get any answers soon, he'll punch someone out of frustration. 

After all the battles and puzzles he finally, _finally_ made it to Snowdin. 

He fell to his knees when he saw the sign, and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he can go to an inn and sleep in a proper bed, and make sure Frisk was alright. "Thank you, guardian angel who seems to like me enough to save my useless ass." He muttered under his breath, pushing himself off of the ground and walking forward. Just as Sans said, there was an inn right there for him and Frisk. Without a moment's hesitation, he ran inside and closed the door behind him, before walking up to the desk. "Hello." He greeted breathlessly, no doubt looking like a wreck to the poor woman. "Hello, welcome to Snowed Inn! Snowdin's primer hotel! One night is 80G, would you like to stay the night?" The woman asked, sending him a polite smile. 

80G a night? Hell, he was so tired he wouldn't care if it were 200G! 

"I'd like a room please, for me and Frisk here." He asked, happy to the core that he was finally going to be able to sleep that night. "Alright, here's your room key. Be sure to bundle up with your son! It gets pretty chilly at night here." 

He would have corrected her, letting her know that Frisk was her nephew, but right now he didn't care. Taking the key, he thanked her and made his way towards their room. As soon as he entered the room, he dumped the duffle bag onto the floor and moved to the bed, taking off Frisk's shoes and tucking him in. It's been such a hectic first day and he was already wondering if leaving Toriel was a good idea, then again at least this served as life experience. Once he took off his shoes, he dusted the dry snow and dirt off of his hair and dropped into bed. 

Personal hygiene could be saved for tomorrow, right now, he needed some sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise if this chapter wasn't all that exciting...


	5. You Need To  C a l m.  D o w n.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It sort of shocked him at how light the teen seemed to be, were all humans like that? He's thrown Frisk around before but Frisk is a child, (y/n) seemed much older. "Frisk will be fine, my brother is a big soft bones, I doubt he'll hurt your brother."
> 
> "I don't know that! What if Frisk is seriously hurt? I need to find them and-"
> 
> "Kid, you need to **C a l m. D o w n.** "

"A place to eat? You can always head on to Grillby's, he has burgers and fries that you can eat." The woman at the shop told him, as she took his gold coins for his purchase. "He's pretty popular here in Snowdin, heard his food is the best. You should check it out." 

"Sure," (y/n) responded, giving the woman a nod as he turned, ready to leave but not before waving at her politely. "Thanks for the advice and the cinnamon buns, really appreciate it." 

"No problem, you and your son can come back any time." She told him, waving back and sending them a smile as he and Frisk walked out of there. He didn't bother to correct her, since he wasn't really up for correcting anyone. If they wanted to believe he was a young, single dad, then he'll let them believe it. I mean hey, at least in their minds, it means he got laid. 

"Here's breakfast for you bud," (y/n) told Frisk, leaning down to hand him a cinnamon bun. "Enjoy, they're still warm." With a bright smile, Frisk thanked his uncle and took the cinnamon bun in his hands, giving it a big bite and chewing it with a happy hum "I'll be calling mom okay? Don't run off on me." When Frisk simply nodded, (y/n) ruffled his head affectionately, letting out a soft chuckle before standing and taking out the flip phone he had gotten from Toriel. He had made sure to change that morning into a pair of jeans, boots and a black sweater, no longer feeling as cold as he did when he had first arrived. He had taken his hat with him, but had given that and his grey scarf to Frisk. Sure Frisk complained about it, but he needed it so that he wouldn't catch a cold. Quickly pressing the only number in his contacts, he pressed the cell to his ear and waited as it rang. After the third ring, she picked up with a soft "hello?" 

"H-Hi mom..." He greeted, feeling a bit embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck, he hoped she wasn't still sad or angry with him for leaving and taking Frisk with him. 

 _"(Y/n)! How are you? Are you eating well? Is Frisk alright? Do you want to come home?"_ She asked, bombarding him with question after question that it made him let out a soft chuckle. 

"I'm doing good mom, yes I'm eating well, Frisk is also doing good, and I... We don't want to go home just yet..." He responded nervously. He didn't really know what to say, in reality he just called to let her know that both he and Frisk were alive and well, but now it felt like he had to talk to her, about a lot. "H-How about you? How are you mom?" He asked nervously, he just hoped he didn't sound as strange to her as he felt he did. 

She let out a soft chuckle on the other side of the line, before responding. " _I'm doing well child, it's good to hear from you. It's lessened my worries_." 

He just hummed in response, unable to stop the smile that grew at hearing her voice. It had only need a day, -at least he believed it was- and already he missed her. "Sorry for worrying you, I just called to let you know we're fine. Hopefully I didn't interrupt anything." 

 _"Oh no dear! Not at all!"_ She responded with a laugh, she did seem a little less tense now that he called. And he was glad for it, he'd have to live with the guilt of making her hate him forever. _"How is Frisk? Is he well?"_ She asked, always worried for the youngest, quietest and more adventurous of the two. 

"Yeah he's-" (y/n) felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach and the blood drain from his face as he stared at where Frisk should have been standing, his footprints still fresh and leading away from him. 

" _Hello? (Y/n) is something wrong?"_ Toriel asked, bringing (y/n) out of his shock as he realized that **_FRISK WAS MISSING_**. "Uh, yeah I'm fine!" He squeaked, looking around frantically and hoping his nephew was within sight. "M-Mom, I-I'll call you back!" He told her, running a hand through his hair as he tried his best not to panic. "F-Frisk is running around in the snow and playing w-with the other kids, b-but he took off h-his gloves, a-and his s-scarf. I-I'll call you back!" He stuttered, not even bothering to wait for her to respond, before he hung up. Without a moment to lose, he began to look around. Frisk's footprints lead away from the inn and from further than that Grillby's place. 

' _Shit shit shit!_ ' He thought to himself, following the footprints and not really watching where he was going. He was fortunate enough to avoid any monsters that could have gotten in his way, he wasn't really that brave and fights were meaningless to him unless he fought for Frisk's safety. The more he searched, the more he realized that Frisk could have been taken or be in danger, the more he _panicked_. He was not good at handling things like a lost child or anything like that, and being underground only made things worse what with all the monsters that could possibly want to kill them. There's bound to be a Flowey monster here or there trying to attack with their own 'friendliness pellets' and other bull crap. He ran around for what seemed like forever, going up a road that lead him to a dog throwing ice into the water, to the Library (which was randomly spelled Librarby), to what appeared to be Sans and Papyrus' house, yet Frisk was still no where in sight. _'What do I do? What should I do? Where did he go? Oh Gods what if he's hurt? Shit! I shouldn't have taken my eyes off of him! I shouldn't have-_ ' 

"Hey pal, you snooping through our mail?" 

The sudden voice caused (y/n) to nearly jump out of his skin, as he let out a slight squeak in surprise before turning to glare at Sans from over his shoulder. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?!" The teen growled, placing a hand over his frantic heart to try and calm it down, letting out a soft, shaky sigh. Sans let out a chuckle, stuffing his boney hands into his blue jacket and sending the teen an amused expression. "Sorry kid, didn't mean to, _rattle your bones_ or anything." (Y/n) scoffed at his pun, trying hard not to laugh as he turned around to face the short skeleton. "Hardy har har," the teen mocked, rolling his eyes at him. "You think you're _real_ funny, don't'cha?" 

Sans just gave a shrug, sending (y/n) a slightly wider smile than the one he already held. "Sorry if my pun didn't, _tickle your funny bone._ " 

"Did you just...?" (Y/n) asked him in disbelief, slapping a hand over his mouth to stop the smile from growing. The last thing he wanted was for Sans to see that he had actually found that funny, but it was a little late for that, since said skeleton let out a chuckle. "Sorry kid, you just looked a bit shaken earlier. Were you lookin' for something?" 

As though being slapped by the cold hand of reality, (y/n) let out a gasp, and before Sans knew it he was being shaken like crazy by a panicky teenager. "Oh my Gods Sans, please help me! I can't seem to find Frisk!" He cried. "He was standing right next to me! I gave him a cinnamon bun and turned around for _one second_ to call our mom and let her know we were fine, and next thing I know _FRISK IS GONE!!_ " Sans couldn't help but blink, completely surprised by the sudden outburst. The kid had appeared to be someone calm and pretty protective, he also didn't look like the kind to be loud or rowdy or cause trouble, so seeing him like this was pretty shocking. Raising his boney hands up to place them on top of (y/n)'s hands, he gently pulled them off of his shoulders and tried to calm the poor teen down. "Calm down kid, Frisk is with my brother so he's fine." When asked if that were true, Sans sent him a nod, heaving a sigh of relief under his breath when (y/n) visibly relaxed. "Thank the Gods, and here I thought he had gotten into a fight." (Y/n) muttered, placing a hand on his chest as he calmed down. 

"Oh, well he is in a fight, sort of." Sans told him, not noticing the way the young teen tensed. 

"What? With who!?" The teen asked, the panic raising once again. 

"With my brother, he just walked up to him and Paps assumed he wanted to be captured." Sans explained, shrugging his shoulders like it was nothing to be worried about. "Heh, maybe he got _Bonely_ and went for a challenge." 

"Oh my god!" (Y/n) exclaimed, glancing all around him before turning to run forward to where he assumed Frisk was. "What if Papyrus hurts Frisk! What would I do then?! Frisk! Frisk-"

"Whoa there pal, you need to _chill_ out," Sans joked, his voice getting a little serious as he held onto (y/n)'s waist. It sort of shocked him at how light the teen seemed to be, were all humans like that? He's thrown Frisk around before but Frisk is a child, (y/n) seemed much older. "Frisk will be fine, my brother is a big soft bones, I doubt he'll hurt your brother." 

"I don't know that! What if Frisk is seriously hurt? I need to find them and-" 

"Kid, you need to   _ **C a l m. D o w n**_." Sans said in a low voice, his eyes turning all black, almost hollow as he held the young teen still in his arms. (Y/n) felt a familiar shiver of fear run down his spine, causing him to freeze on his spot. That voice, that was not the voice of the calm, lazy bones he had first met. That was him being serious, and if (y/n) had learned anything back up on the surface, it was that you _never_ messed with someone who suddenly gets all serious without warning. Making sure (y/n) wasn't planning on running, Sans slowly removed his arms from the teen's waist. "There, now listen to me," he began, watching as the teen jumped a bit in surprise, but stayed right were he was in silence. "Paps would never hurt Frisk, they'll become close friends if we're lucky." He explained, before muttering bitterly under his breath. "If anything _I_ should be the one worried, who knows what that kid'll do." 

" _Excuse_ me?" (Y/n) asked in disbelief, turning his body around to face the skeleton. "You think Frisk, _my little angel of a nephew Frisk_ , would actually hurt your brother?" When sans shrugged, the teen scowled. All that fear from before? Yeah, that's long gone. "Frisk wouldn't harm a fly!" 

"Sure, keep telling yourself that." Sans snorted, smile still in place but now looking a bit strain. Just what was he getting at? Did he want to fight? If (y/n) wasn't so afraid to get hurt, he'd have kicked Sans in his boney face. "How do I know your _brother_ won't lay a bone on Frisk? For all I know, he could be planning something! He could be a scheming little jerk like some of the other monsters I've met here!" The teen grumbled, glaring into the now hollow-like eyes of Sans, ignoring that shiver of fear that ran down his spine. No, he shouldn't be afraid of him a second time, he'll analyze the situation and see how far he could go with yelling at this bones for brains. 

"Uh pal? A little bit of advice for ya," Sans began, taking a small step forward and making sure he was all up in (y/n)'s face. " **Don't** insult my brother, or you're **_g a n n  a  h a v e_**   ** _a  b a d  t i m e._** " The teen just scoffed, placing his hands on his hips and leaning in until his and Sans' foreheads touched. He wasn't going to budge, not for the lousy bag of bones. "Ha ha, you're _so_ funny," he mocked sarcastically, not once tearing his eyes away from the skeleton's empty sockets. "You think you're so _humerus_ don't you, you lousy sack of bones. I'd say that you're so full of shit, but we both know how empty you are." 

By now, Sans left eye had begun to glow, but (y/n) didn't even flinch. He was trembling, probably out of annoyance as he lifted a hand, wiggling his boney fingers while they began to glow. "You ballsy little fuc-"

"AH SANS! I SEE YOU ARE WITH THE OTHER HUMAN!" 

The sudden arrival of Papyrus caused the two of them to tense, realizing how strange their current position might be to those around them. They were close, _really_ close, with their foreheads pressed together and not really budging, just muttering under their breaths. It wasn't long until Sans' eyes went back to normal, as he and (y/n) both stepped back and tried to relax. "Uh, hey bro." Sans greeted, stuffing his free hand into his pocket as he sent his brother smile. "Yeah, just _chillin_ ' with Frisk's brother." 

"REALLY? THAT'S WONDERFUL!" Papyrus exclaimed running up to (y/n) with such a bright smile. "HUMAN! I THOUGHT YOU HAD GONE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHEN I DIDN'T SEE YOU WITH THE TINY HUMAN. HAVE YOU BEEN WITH MY BROTHER THIS WHOLE TIME?" (Y/n) wanted to stay mad, he really dd. But how could he when Papyrus as practically beaming at him. Damn, he had a weakness for child-like people and cute things, like Toriel or Frisk. With a small, nervous laugh, (y/n) nodded and tried to look as casual as he could. "Uh, yeah! H-He's a real great guy! S-Showed me around Snowdin and everything! Heh heh heh..." He laughed, feeling beads of sweat forming on his forehead as well as Sans' intense gaze on the back of his head. He didn't know how it as possible, but Papyrus's smile widened as he suddenly took (y/n)'s hands in his own and began to shake them. "THAT'S WONDERFUL, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, APPROVE OF YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH MY BROTHER!" He shouted, letting out a 'Nyeh heh heh' before looking down at him a little nervously. "UH HUMAN, SINCE YOU ARE THE GREAT PAPYRUS' BROTHER'S FRIEND... W-WOULD IT BE ALRIGHT TO ASSUME YOU ARE ALSO MY... F-FRIEND?" 

 _'Oh my Gods, he's precious._ ' (Y/n) thought, keeping a straight face before a bright smile broke out. "Of course! I'd love to be your friend dude! The more the better!" 

Papryus' cheeks began to glow with a light taint of orange, as he let out a gasp. "I NOW HAVE... T-TWO FRIENDS?" He questioned, letting go of (y/n)'s hands in order to place them on his cheeks. "WOWIE! I AM GETTING PRETTY POPULAR! HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO HANDLE ALL OF THIS ATTENTION?" 

"Heh, you're pretty cool bro." Sans complimented, looking less tense as he held a genuine smile on his face. 

(Y/n) suddenly felt a tug on his pant leg, causing him to look down and gasp. "Uncle!" Frisk greeted, letting out a squeal in surprise when he was scooped up off the ground and swung around in a circle. "Frisk! You're alive!" (Y/n) exclaimed joyously, pulling his nephew close and nuzzling his cheek, all the while Frisk squealed and giggled at the affection. "I was _soo_ scared I'd lost you bud! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Please don't leave my side without telling me where you're going at least!" Frisk let out a soft 'okay' before wrapping his small arms around his uncle's neck. The two hugged each other tightly, as though they haven't seen each other for ages before they pulled apart with a smile. 

"AWW..." 

Turning, the two watched as Papyrus, whose face was now close to theirs and watching them interact with a bright smile, giggled before leaning back."BIG HUMAN! I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOUR TINY HUMAN BROTHER THE PLACE WHERE I LIKE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME." (Y/n) was a bit unsure at first, but with the way Frisk was tugging at his sweater and sending him that needy expression, he gave in and placed him down to the snow covered ground. "Sure thing dude." (Y/n) muttered, as Frisk ran to Papyrus' side. He watched as the two walked off, before Papyrus suddenly turned on his heels and came back to their house, where they had all been currently standing on front of. "MY HOUSE!" He announced with joy, before walking right in. (Y/n) watched with a bewildered expression as Frisk giggled, glancing at him real quick as though asking for permission, before going inside as soon as (y/n) sent him a nod. Once Frisk was put of sight, the young teen took in a deep breath through his nose, before exhaling rather loudly and falling to his knees on to the snow. He never knew how physically draining it was to panic at the thought of a lost family member, he hasn't been this tired after a panic attack like that since he was a kid trying to escape some 12th grade assholes. 

"Told ya Paps wouldn't hurt your bro." 

(Y/n) let out a squeak in surprise, turning to glare at Sans who just chuckled at his expression. The two just stayed there in silence, both still a bit uncomfortable about the fight that could have happened had Papyrus not return to interrupt them. As the minutes flew by, Sans lifted his hand to his mouth and let out a small cough, before speaking. "Uh listen kid," he began, not bothering go look at (y/n). "About earlier, things got a bit out of hand. I don't normally lose my _cool_ as fast as I did just then, but it's just that... Papyrus is the only precious family I have, so I get pretty protective. Sorry 'bout that." 

"I know," (y/n) mumbled, heaving another sigh before turning to the skeleton with a weary smile. "I lost my cool too, I was just afraid of losing Frisk. I shouldn't have assumed Papyrus was like other monsters that have tried to kill us." 

Sans let out another chuckle, turning his head to smile down at the teen, this time his smile was genuine when directed at him. "So, uh, no hard feelings kid?" 

"No hard feelings." The teen replied, preparing to stand until Sans extended his hand to help him up. (Y/n) was a little weary at first, not because it could be a repeat of the whoopie cushion incident from yesterday, but because this was the very hand that had glowed a neon blue. This was the hand that would have, most likely, ended his life in 2.5 seconds flat. He didn't want to take it, but Sans was trying his best to apologize and be friendly with him, it'd be rude of him to just decline like that, Toriel would have been so disappointed to see his bad manners. So pushing down his pride, (y/n) took Sans hand in his own and stood. "Thanks." He thanked, dusting the snow off of his jeans. 

"Snow problem." Sans responded, shrugging his shoulders and chuckling at the look of disbelief on the teen's face. 

"Did you just..." (Y/n) trailed off, before snorting unattractively and laughing at how stupid and quick that pun was. Sans seemed pleased with himself, watching as the young teen tried to compose himself. "So, wanna come in? Paps is probably letting Frisk check the place out." 

"Sure," (y/n) agreed, walking up to the front door with Sans. "But no more puns, please, I can only take so much." 

"Eh, no promises." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where I wanted to go with this, I just knew that if I were Sans and a new human appeared, I'd want to get to know them to see what was up with them, especially if they were connected with a kid that could RESET everything. 
> 
> Don't read too deep into this, San just really wants to know if you're here to finally take Frisk and escape or are worse than Frisk. Just thought you should all know.


	6. Let's Chat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sharp gasp escaped his lip, face covered in sweat with wide eyes gazing up at the ceiling. 
> 
> Where was he?
> 
> What had just happened?
> 
> What had he been doing?
> 
> Lifting a hand, he placed it over his forehead, removing the sweat that was forming above his brow. Confusion filled him, his mind trying to remember what he was doing there and why. Moving his hand away from his face, he felt the wetness under his eyes.
> 
> Tear trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally rush things and try to get the chapters done as quick and simple as possible, but this chapter I'll be trying a sort of, new writing style that I only use on one shots and angsty filled stories I write. 
> 
> I love one shots since they don't require much planning, so I'm going to test it out, let me know if you like it.

Vision blurred, deep pants and heavy heart. The very first thing he saw, the very first thing he felt and the very first thing he dreaded. 

Why was he here?

Why did things escalate this far?

Why won't any of this stop?

In his hands were the metaphorical blood of the innocent, their dust still sprinkled lightly against his clothes, leaving the evidence of his horrible deed for the whole underground to see. Before him stood an enemy, an old friend who seeked revenge and wanted nothing but his corpse to be laying in a pool of blood on the floor. Sunlight sneaked in through the large windows, lighting up the hallway in a soft, golden hue as he stood there for his judgement. 

Sans, with his hoodie and a tired expression, warned him of stepping over a certain line, or else a promise that had been made before will be broken. 

With no control over his body, he took a step forward, clenching that toy knife in his dominant hand. 

He knew why he was there, he just couldn't understand why he had chosen to do what he had done. To Sans' brother, to Sans' friends and neighbours, to Sans' own kind. 

If he could go back, he would, but he doubted that would make any difference.

He wanted to stop, beg to stop, but his voice was nowhere to be found. He held no control over his actions, body moving on its own as he dodged every attack sent his way. Sans kept a straight face, dodging every attack before sending his own. 

He screamed, called out for him to stop, but it was futile. Sans couldn't hear him, single eye glowing in his left socket, lifting his left hand and preparing his attack. He somehow gained some control, but could not bring himself to fight back. Sans was his friend, he had been nothing but kind, even when he was mad he was still his good old, pun-filled self. He would rather be attacked by the elder skeleton than do the attacking, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he ever did anything to him. No, not to _him_ of all people, of all beings, not to Sans. 

Sans was his best friend, his neighbour, his family... 

His _lover_...

Bones spiked up from the ground, striking the determined filled soul before him and lowering his HP dangerously low. In a split second he saw it, and the very sight disgusted him. 

His LOVE was high, his EXP was also pretty high, and it sickened him to the core. 

How did he manage to get it that high? How had he done that? When had it happened? Was he really himself? Once more he tried to call out to him, to beg him to stop his attack and listen. To ask how this happen, and to drop the toy knife that he had been unconsciously clenching so tightly within his sweaty palm. But no sound was heard, he couldn't even squeak or groan at the pain that filled his body. It wasn't long until it became his turn, and dread filled him. His body moved on it's own, being sure to position him and prepare to strike. 

He was about to attack. 

He knew that if he strikes, Sans would not make it with his 1HP. Everyone knew that, hence why he had gotten so overprotective of the bone man when he had found out. When his body took aim, with Sans panting before him, beads of sweat on the side of his skull and getting ready for whatever attack was to be thrown at him, he panicked. 

This couldn't be happening, this had to be some sort of mistake. He'd never hurt him, what had he gotten himself into? 

His body moved, and to his relief, he missed, as Sans called forth more bones. They surrounded his body, taking aim mostly at his soul, and although his body was in a panic, he was happy. He couldn't harm Sans if he was dead, and nothing would be better than having the skeleton man alive. 

Or so he thought... 

There he was again, same sunshine-filled room, same decor, same situation. Sans was speaking to him, but his words went past his head, his body tense and ready for the battle that was to come. He could only watch as things went on the way they did, body dodging every attack successfully, pants being heard and toy knife in hand. This time, however, Sans fell asleep for his turn. Everything would have been alright, everything _should_ have been alright, but his body had a different plan. 

He felt himself screaming voicelessly at his body, as it slowly forced its way through to fight. With once swipe, Sans awoke and successfully dodged the attack. His victory, however, was cut short by the second swipe. 

And just like that, Sans was beaten. 

With regained control, his body trembled, eyes watching the skeleton as he walked off to the side. Slumped against the wall, he mumbled to himself until finally, he died. The toy knife dropped to the floor with an audible thunk, his feet making their way towards his body before he slumped down next to him. "Sans?" He finally spoke, his heart speeding up and beating in his ears, hands growing clammy and trembling uncontrollably, eyes beginning to sting with tears prickling the edge. 

No, this couldn't be happening.

This couldn't be real.

"Sans... Sans, Sans... Sans!" He chanted, trembling hands moving to hold the now corpse of his skeleton friends. He'll never hear his voice again, never gaze into those pin prinks for eyes, never laugh at his cheesy jokes or corny puns... 

Never hold or hug him ever again... 

Tears began to fall onto Sans' cheekbones, just below his eye socket. To him, it appeared as though Sans were crying, crying for the loss of his friends, his neighbours...

For the loss of his brother...

The tears grew more and more, falling down like an endless waterfall as he pulled Sans' body close to his chest. His sobs echoed all around him, Sans' blood coating his clothes, hands and the floor. Despite that, he held him closer, his sobbing growing louder and louder. Taking in a deep breath, he rubbed his thumb gently across Sans' cheekbone, it felt so cold, that warmth he was used to now long gone with no chance of returning. 

Pulling his head back, he let out a pained wail, one that would have broken the heart of anyone that had heard. Anyone around could tell what had happened, feeling the very pain down to the core as though it were their own.

He just kept screaming, crying and begging for Sans to return, to come back and help him understand why everything went the way it did. He begged anyone, any living being, any deity that could hear him, anything out there that would listen, to bring him back. He wanted everything to go back to normal, he wanted to start again from the beginning, to prevent that from ever happening ever again. He begged and begged, until his voice grew horse from all his screaming, and he could no longer cry. He should progress, his body told him to, but he couldn't bare to leave Sans there. 

The room began to darken, yet he didn't care, he'd rather be alone in the dark, if it meant he could hold Sans in his arms forever. 

The darkness slowly engulfed him, as he clenched the skeleton's body closer to him. He allowed his eyes to slowly close, no longer caring about what happens to him. He refused to believe in anything, to realize that the body of his old friend had turned to dust a long time ago, that he needed to heal, that he was losing energy fast. He refused to believe in reality anymore and just gave up, what was the point of anything anymore? He had lost everything...

He had lost Sans...

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

A sharp gasp escaped his lip, face covered in sweat with wide eyes gazing up at the ceiling. 

Where was he? 

What had just happened?

What had he been doing? 

Lifting a hand, he placed it over his forehead, removing the sweat that was forming above his brow. Confusion filled him, his mind trying to remember what he was doing there and why. Moving his hand away from his face, he felt the wetness under his eyes. 

Tear trail. 

Had he been crying? Why? 

Shuffling upon his chest caused him to nearly jump off of where he was laying, turning his head to glance down and let out a sigh of relief. It was only Frisk, who was sleeping on top of him, blanket over his shoulders and looking like a small burrito. Frisk was there, safe and sound, the location he was in was Sans' and Papyrus' couch, spending the night at their house. He was fine, and no one had turned into dust.

Just as he tried to remember his dream, he realized that he was slowly starting to forget it now that he was awake, it was nothing new, but a bit disappointing. This nightmare was different from all the others he had had in the past, this nightmare had him shaken. He didn't know why, but he knew that whatever it was, it had been a loss so great he didn't know how he'd be able to go on. He gently lifted his hand away from his tear stained cheek, reaching over to gently place itself upon Frisk's head. 

"Am I okay?" He whispers to himself, gazing up at the ceiling. "What is wrong with me? Why do I keep having these weird nightmares?" With a sigh he closed his eyes, inhaling through his nostrils as he lost himself with his own thoughts. Everything about the underground confused him, the SAVE stars, the monsters, even his own feelings confused him. His anxiety, his need to finish, his need to make it to the end and just _do_ something. They were a constant bother, returning when he assumed they were gone, and tormenting him silently to the point where he inwardly argued with himself time and time again. This was not normal, and he knew that. But he also knew he had no one else to talk to about it, they wouldn't understand, they'd see him as crazy and worse of all...

Frisk might worry or be afraid of him.

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach at the thought, throat clenching and fingers gently entangling themselves between his nephew's soft, chocolate locks. Frisk was all he had, all he'll ever have from then on, he wouldn't be able to handle the thought of his nephew gazing up at with with such a terrified expression. What would he do then? 

Inhaling a sharp breath through his lips, he glanced down at the sleeping child. He would protect him no matter the cost, Frisk was important to him and he was determined to make sure no harm came to the little one. But in order to do so, he needed to find help, to become emotionally stronger and find a way to get rid of his nightmares. 

He wonders what causes the nightmares, and why he forgets them just moments after he wakes up. Was it his mind's way of warning him of what's to come? Did he subconsciously force himself to forget in order to protect himself from the visions that he may be seeing? Whatever it was, now wasn't the time to be thinking about it, especially this late at night.

Heaving a deep sigh, his arms moved to wrap them around his young nephew's body, pulling him close before allowing his eyes to close, accepting sleep with open arms. As he feel into that much needed sleep, he failed to notice the elder skeleton observing him from the railing of the second floor. His eye sockets were empty, gazing down at the teen's now sleeping form with deep suspicion. 

This was something he needed to investigate.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"Frisk! Frisk, bud, calm down. The snow isn't going anywher- don't take off the gloves I gave you!" (Y/n) scolded, hands on his hips while watching as his nephew sent him a pout. The weather was as it usually was, cold and snowing, with a slight breeze every now and then. "You'll get frostbite, and that's the last thing I want you to get!" 

With it being such a nice day, or so saith the great Papyrus, they had decided to spend it outside playing around in the snow. But (y/n)'s concern for his nephew's well being grew more and more the longer they all stayed outdoors. Frisk kept taking off articles of clothing such as his hat, scarf and gloves, refusing to keep them on his person in favour of playing around in the cold snow with the taller skeleton unprotected against the cold weather. It ran in his mind over and over again that Frisk might get sick, and he was sort of weary of the medicine they had down there. 

"Frisk! Frisk no!" The teen scolded, stern expression on his face while standing above his nephew, arms crossed over his chest as he made sure the child knew he was being serious. "Don't try to eat the snow, Sans already told you it was recycled! It's dirty." He tried to stay strong, to stand his ground but his control was slowly fading with each passing second.

He was weak to Frisk's cute pouting face. 

Letting a groan pass through his lips, a hand was raised to pinch the bridge of his nose, while his free hand made a shooing gesture towards Papyrus. "Just... Go build a snowman with Papyrus, and stop trying to taste the snow. It tastes weird, trust me on this bud." Reluctant at first, the young child nodded and dropped the snow with a plop onto the ground, before standing and making his way towards the taller skeleton in order to help him with his sculpture.

It had been a week since they arrived in Snowdin, chatting with everyone, eating Papyrus' cooking, (to which (y/n) had been helping him with) and enjoying their time with the skeleton brothers. He had freaked out when he heard about the date Frisk was planning on going on with Papyrus, and would have stopped it, had Sans not tried to talk him out of it. According to the elder skeleton, they wouldn't really do anything big on their date and no, Papyrus didn't mean anything dirty about going up to his room and doing what people on dates do, get your mind out of the gutter. After that last bit however, their small talk had resulted in a small argument between the two that ended up being settled with Frisk and Papyrus asking if they were alright. Sans was still as wary about him as he was about the skeleton, each one wanting to protect their family from whoever they saw as a potential threat. 

And they both saw the other as a threat.

(Y/n) felt his body tremble, as he kept his eyes on his nephew, watching the cheerful child laugh and run around with an equally childish Papyrus. He couldn't help but flinched every time Frisk tripped, whimper when Frisk nearly hurt himself and groan in slight annoyance when Frisk tried to take his hat, scarf and gloves off. 

"Hey kid." 

A squeak escaped though his lips, his body tensing with the hairs at the back of his neck standing on ends at the sudden voice. A breathy chuckle was heard coming from behind him, causing (y/n) to bite down a curse as he turned his head to glance at whoever it was over his shoulder. There stood none other than Sans, hands shoved into his hoodie pocket, permanent smile in place with an amused look in his eyes. "Sorry 'bout that, but you should probably _chill_ and let the kid have fun in the snow." (Y/n) wanted to say something to the short skeleton, but there wasn't much he _could_ say. Maybe he was right, maybe he should calm down and not worry too much over his nephew's well-being.

Or maybe Sans could mind his own business, since apparently he thinks Frisk is a mindless, cold blooded murderer.

"Uh, listen kid, why don't we let Paps and Frisk hang out for a while?" He continued, placing a boney hand on the teen's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Why don't we hang out for a while? I mean, I have been a little _cold_ towards you, but no hard feelings right?" Slowly taking his hand off of the teen's shoulder, he stuffed it back into his hoodie pocket and nodded towards the direction of the inn. "Follow me kid, there's something I want to talk to you about." 

The way he spoke, the way he moved and his posture showed how serious he was. He gave everyone a smile that seemed normal, but (y/n) saw how exhausted he was, how bored and tired he was of everything around him. He would know, he had his own skills in wearing a mask and not letting anyone see his true feelings. Not wanting to test him, especially now that he knew how strong the shorter skeleton was with that weird flaming eye of his, (y/n) followed with one last glance at Frisk. 

The walk was a short, with the two of them greeting every monster they passed by with a smile, and sticking close to one another to enjoy each other's company, and because Sans requested it. It didn't last long until the two stood in front of the restaurant the teen had yet to visit. "Here we are." Sans muttered, moving in front of the teen and holding the door open to allow him to enter. The scent and heat from inside hit him like a snowball to the face, a wave of emotions washed over him as he stood there, staring with wide eyes. It all felt so nostalgic, the sound, the smell and the sight gave him a weird sense of déjà vu. "Welcome to Grillby's kid," Sans told him, snapping the teen out of his thoughts and watching with a small hint of curiosity as the teen walked in, his (e/c) eyes glancing all over the place and taking it all in. "Come on in, take a seat." Sans offered, gently taking the awestruck teen's hand and guiding him to the front. A wave of greetings erupted from the mouths of every monster there, each one more cheerful than the last until they finally reached their seats at the front. "I should probably warn ya, Grillbz is a pretty _hot headed_ guy," 

(Y/n) didn't know what to think about that, either Sans was telling a joke or he was being serious, and he just hoped it was the former. He had done a good job at keeping both Frisk and himself at Snowdin, not a single monster bothering them nor had they been found out by anyone. Sans and Papyrus were kind hosts, Papyrus more so than his brother, not wanting to let anyone know that he was hiding two humans and treating them kindly in his own home. Before he sat himself down, he raised a brow at the sight of a whoopie cushion on his seat. Picking it up, he rolled his eyes and placed it in front of Sans before taking his seat. Frisk had told him about his visit to Grillby's with Sans, he wasn't going to fall for it. "Aww, guess you saw _right through me_ , huh?" He joked, picking up the whoopie cushion and pocketing it. The room filled up with happy chatter, the sound of cups and utensils being moved around rang in his ears, as some dogs were playing poker at a table not too far from them. Upon closer inspection the teen recognized them, the two happily married dogs kissing off to the side, Dogamy and Dogressa. A large dog sitting down with a metal suit of army, making a funny face every once in a while and holding his cards before him. And on the other side was Doggo, glancing around the room, squinting his eyes while smoking a dog treat, entertained with the card before him. 

"So kid, what'll ya have?" Sans asked from his seat, he was slouched over the bar counter, arms crossed before him with a relaxed expression, he looked almost as though he were about to pass out. Then again it wouldn't be the first time this bag of bones actually fell asleep when asking him questions, Sans was a bit of a dick towards (y/n) like that. Before (y/n) could utter a single word, he sat there with wide eyes as a fire elemental stood before him. He was cleaning a glass with a rag, waiting patiently for their orders while gazing at (y/n) curiously through his glasses. They just stared at each other for what felt like hours, each one intrigued by the other's presence and observing them as much as they could. He was unable to stop the words from leaving his mouth, shocked at what he had just said and hoping it didn't offend the monster. "Oh my Gods Sans was right, you are actually hot." He felt the blood drain from his face when the man, Grillby he supposed, appeared to be blushing, shoulders tense as his hands stopped their cleaning motion. "Oh! H-Holy shit, I-I'm so sorry I didn't mean-"

Sans' laughter interrupted him, his hands clenching his nonexistent belly as his face was pressed to the bar table, his cheekbones were dyed a cyan blue all the while his shoulders shook uncontrollably. (Y/n) glared at the skeleton, his cheeks practically glowing with embarrassment. Now was not the time to be laughing at a friend's mistake, now was the time to save their ass from it. Grillby let out what appeared to be a cough, looking at Sans as though avoiding (y/n) out of his own embarrassment. 

' _Great_ ,' the teen thought to himself bitterly. ' _First time here and I already made myself look like an idiot_.' 

Sans finally recollected himself, wheezing slightly as he wiped away what appeared to be a tear from his eye socket. Do skeletons even cry? Or was it just magical skeletons that lived underground and were practically assholes who added to their supposed friend's embarrassment? "Heh, good one kid." He wheezed, finally catching his breath before turning to the elemental with a small smile. "Hey Grillbz, how about two burgers? And some ketchup too, please." Grillby said nothing, taking the opportunity to turn on his heels and swiftly make his way towards the kitchen, wanting to avoid any more embarrassment. As soon as he was gone, (y/n) let out a groan, his head falling forward and hitting the wooden bar table with an audible 'thud!' 

"Ah just forget about it kid, Grillbz is used to hot jokes already," Sans tried to explain. "He's just, uh, not used to anyone other than me using 'em." 

"Just... Let me forget this ever happened..." (Y/n) mumbled, his voice mostly muffled by the wooden bar table. Grillby eventually returns with their burgers, his embarrassment already gone as he placed the burgers and the bottle of ketchup down in front of them. The teen didn't bother to lift his head up, waiting until the fireman walked away before he finally did and rested his chin on the table. What an amazing first impression, now he can't return without the memory of today entering his mind. "Eat up kid, want some ketchup with your burger?" Sans asked, smirking when (y/n) let out a sigh and nodded, standing up straight and bringing the plate with his burger close to him. Taking the ketchup from Sans's hand, he took the burger bun off and proceeded to pour a sufficient amount until- 

**_Splat!_ **

The lid fell off and soon his burger resembled a murder scene, with ketchup covering his whole plate and a few drops splattered on the front of his sweater. It took him a while to register what had just happened, but when it did he quickly snapped his head towards the skeleton wheezing next to him and sent him a glare. He had seen the whoopie cushion coming, but he had forgotten about the ketchup trick. "Damn it Sans." He grumbled, placing the bottle down and screwing the cap on, all while grumbling soft curses under his breath. "Heh, I got both you and Frisk with that one." Sans commented, wiping away a tear before pushing his burger towards him. "Here, you can have mine." 

The teen let out a scoff, almost sounding offended before turning back to his own burger and pushing Sans' plate back at him. "I'm not wasting food because of your prank, imma still eat this." Sans looked surprise, raising an invisible brow at the teen and watching with intrigue when (y/n) tried to clean the plate as best he could with napkins. "You serious kid? You wouldn't be able to finish it." Once the plate was pretty clean and a pile of ketchup covered napkins rested beside it, (y/n) cleaned his hands with one more napkin, sending Sans a smug smile. "You underestimate my power." He responded, placing the clean burger bun back on before picking it up as best he could. "I'll eat this ketchup drenched burger and then I'll eat your burger, just to not waste food." With that being said, he leaned in to take a bite. The taste of ketchup overpowered most of the burger, but (y/n) could still tell how delicious it was. The red condiment leaked through the sides of the burger, landing on the plate with a soft splat. Sans watched in awe and disbelief, unable to look away as the kid literally ate the whole burger slowly, not caring about how much ketchup was on it or how messy his fingers and face were becoming. With a quick glance to the side, he noticed how Grillby looked so grateful, what with how willing (y/n) was to eat his food even if Sans had ruined it with ketchup and with how happy the teen looked with every bite. Sans was both surprised and intrigued, this has _never_ happened before in a timeline, he's never appeared before either. The skeleton didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad one, especially since he found out that Frisk wasn't the one with the toy knife, (y/n) was. 

Finishing up, (y/n) chewed the burger carefully before grabbing some napkins to wipe his hand and mouth clean. Over all the meal was good, great even! Leave it to a fire elemental to know just how to cook a burger the right way, leaving it crunchy on the outside but just chewy enough on the inside. The ketchup may have been too much, but he wouldn't let that ruin his free meal. "That was great!" He complimented, swallowing the last bit before sending Sans a victorious smile. "The ketchup was a bit much, but I'm not wasting food for your amusement." 

Sans just let out a chuckle, glancing down at his own burger before nodding. "Yup, Grillbz knows how to make a good meal." He watched as the young teen sent Grillby a thumbs up, not feeling as embarrassed as before, while reaching over to Sans plate and licking his lips. 

He wasn't joking about eating Sans' burger. 

"So, uh, about why I wanted to talk to you about." He began, getting serious and capturing the teen's attention. "Where did you come from? Before it was just Frisk, then you appeared with him in tow." The question only confused the teen, as he raised a brow at the skeleton, chewing on the burger he had just taken a bite out of. What was he trying to say? That he wasn't wanted? Damn, Sans sure was bipolar. Why did he act this way around (y/n)? He was nice to him and treated him like a friend one minute, before getting serious and suddenly treating both him and Frisk as a threat to himself and Papyrus the next. The teen sat up straight, putting his guard up and preparing to shove the burger into Sans' eye socket should the skeleton say or do something stupid. Swallowing, he sent the monster a look over, before responding slowly. "Frisk had been missing for week when I first heard, my sister and her ass of a husband wanted to wait until he returned home but I went out to look for him," he began. "I've been searching for him for a month around MT. Ebott until the police arrived to look for me, I hid in a cave and saw Frisk before he fell down, and I jumped after him." Sans' gaze grew suspicious, as though he didn't believe the teen but kept his mouth shut to let him continue. "We met Toriel and lived with her until I felt the urge to progress and Save for some weird reason. Frisk and I spoke with Toriel and she reluctantly allowed us to leave as long as I call her at least once a day." 

"Do you know what a RESET is?" Sans asked, completely serious and looking at the teen as though the wrong answer might end up killing him. By now, the skeleton noticed how tense and confused (y/n) was, not expecting such a question nor such a gaze. "No, I don't. Are they dangerous or something? Will they hurt Frisk?" 

Sans ignored him, too busy processing things within his mind before asking the next question. "What about SAVEs, do you know what a SAVE is?" (Y/n) had a feeling he shouldn't answer that, if Sans was so interested in the SAVEs, who knows at he might do. He didn't ask Frisk about them as far as he knew, but the skeleton seemed desperate to know, which didn't seem good. What if he was like Flowey? What would he do to him? Or worse, what would he do to Frisk? "A what? What is with these RESETS and SAVES? You make it sound like whatever they are, they're dangerous." He lied through his teeth, turning back to his burger and thanking whatever God was out there. Sans didn't know that (y/n) was a terrible lier since he rarely lied, it was amazing the skeleton didn't notice the teen sweat and his voice rise when he lied about the SAVES. "What about your nightmares?" He asked, watching when the teen tensed and nearly choked on his third bite of the burger. Clearly he had tried hard to keep quiet, no one other than Frisk should know about those, and yet Sans knew. Damn, he must have said something in his sleep, but then why didn't Frisk wake up? He normally did when (y/n) stirred. 

"How did you-"

"You were pretty much calling for help and cryin' last night kid, how could I _not_ have heard it?" Sans responded, shrugging his shoulders as though it wasn't a big deal. "Hey, I'm surprised you didn't wake Papyrus or Frisk up." 

(Y/n) pursed his lips into a tight line, he hated having anyone know about his nightmares. Then again, he brought this on himself, if only he had been more cautious about that Save star, then none of this would have happened. Inhaling though his nose, he let out a sigh and put his burger down. "They started about a month ago? I don't even remember, but they're the reason I'm here with Frisk." He confessed. "I ended up getting this strong feeling of anxiety and they kept getting worse and worse, like something or someone was telling me to keep going or something. The sad thing is that I never remember my dreams when I wake up..." 

Sans let out a hum, making a mental note to keep a close eye on the elder human. He was new here, so there was no telling what he would do, especially with all the endings Frisk seemed to have gotten. What if (y/n) was worse than Frisk? What if he would end up causing the extinction of monster-kind? If that were the case, he had to make sure the teen never left his sight. It might be a little tricky, what with him always wanting Frisk by his side, but he'll think of something. I mean hey, they needed to progress until the end anyways...

Like Frisk has always done...

Just as he was about to finish off whatever ketchup was left in the bottle, a question popped into his mind, and he had asked it before he could stop it from escaping his mouth. "Have you fought and killed any monster since you got here?" 

"What? No, I wouldn't be able to. The guilt would kill me." (Y/n) responded, sounding almost offended by the question as he picked up the now cold burger. Toriel would be so disappointed in him if she knew he had left half eaten food on his plate, she hated when food went to waste. "Would you hurt a monster for any particular reason?" This question was answered with little to no hesitation, as though (y/n) had thought about it before and was sure as to what he would do. "I'd fight them only if it meant to protect Frisk. Despite not wanting to, I'll do it." 

It was an obvious answer, of course, but it still seems to bother Sans. So he wouldn't harm anyone, unless it involved Frisk? What if Frisk had asked him to attack someone? Would he still do it? It was obvious that the teen was way too overprotective of Frisk, but would he really kill a monster if he was asked to? But with what weapon? Last timeline, he had fought Frisk for his judgement and ended up getting stabbed by the toy knife he held before the final RESET, that was a while back before (y/n) arrived. "Would you ever fight Papyrus? Would you ever hurt the two of us?" He needed to know, he needed to know if the kid was capable of hurting his brother. If he said no, than he wouldn't have to worry about him, but if he said yes... 

He might have to distance himself, it would be best to fight someone who was an enemy in his eyes than befriend them beforehand. 

(Y/n) shoved the last bit of the burger into his mouth and chewed, wondering how he should answer that. He didn't want to hurt Papyrus or Sans, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't considered it. Would they hurt Frisk? Were they capable of hurting Frisk? He had learned a while back that Papyrus was too sweet to really harm anyone, and Sans only had 1HP. But it was the ones you least expect to be really strong that could kick your ass in 2.1 seconds. He would know, he's played enough video games to learn his lesson. (Y/n) wanted to be honest, he knew that Sans deserved the truth, even if he was a bipolar jerk. "To tell you the truth Sans..." He began, swallowing and cleaning his hands with a napkin. "I don't trust you." 

Sans had seen it coming, but kept his mouth shut, not bothering to pay attention to the sound of the happy chatter all around them. (Y/n) took in a deep breath, preparing himself and turning around to face him fully. "To tell you the truth, I can't bring myself to ever hurt Papyrus, no matter what. I know he wouldn't harm a fly." He began, before sending Sans a slight glare. "But you're a different story, Sans. I get the feeling you know more than you let on, and that you're capable of hurting Frisk. I won't hurt Papyrus, but I will fight you to the death if you _ever_ do anything to Frisk."

Sans couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, he was caught off guard by how serious the teen seemed to be. Sans had only ever seen him angry, panicked or scolding, but never really _serious_. This kid didn't seem like the type to be serious, if anything he looked like a pouting child, puffed out cheeks and furrowed brows. "Geez kid, you almost sent a chill down my spine." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I'm glad we had this talk. But I need to get back to work, too many naps that need to be taken, ya know?" With another chuckle, he sent the teen one last, amused look as he stood. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he sent Grillby a nod before turning to walk away. As he was a few feet away, he stopped in his tracks, turning to send (y/n) one last serious glance over his shoulder. "Oh, and kid? Keep a close eye on Frisk, who knows what he'll get into." With that, he vanished into thin air. 

(Y/n) blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes to make sure he actually did see what he had just seen, before letting out a groan. He had no idea why Sans seemed to like him one minute, and suddenly get serious to the point of indirectly threatening him the next. 

"Seriously, what is his _damage?_ " 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an Undertale sideblog on TUMBLR! 
> 
> Just in case you all wanted to know...
> 
> http://yami-tale.tumblr.com
> 
> Also, I would have still eaten that burger, ketchup at all. I prefer mustard on my mean, but hey! To each his own right? Plus, I love burgers! How dare Sans waste that shit? I'd have eaten both his AND mine!


End file.
